In my school there is a room downstairs, which I have alway thought to be a store-room, that is actually meant for Friday prayer for the Muslim kids, meaning pretty much all of them. They refer to this space as the “Qur’an teaching-room”, which is definitely not its purpose. Since it is used during school-time, and time has been set aside (and teaching schedules re-organised) for prayer time, the idea that it could be used as an instructional aid annoys me.

One of the children has reportedly claimed he was (probably due to bad behaviour) recently pushed to the floor by an adult – not a teacher, I hasten to add.

If this is true, and there are witnesses who have come forward to back up the claim, it is yet another instance of violence towards children that the Muslim community seem to condone as much as condemn. I am not saying that non-Muslims are without blame in this matter, but the general attitude to such events from other Muslims in the school is alarmingly blasé.

I should very much like to experince life in a Swedish school, to see if the attitude is as saddening as it is in mine.

In my Class 2 English class there is a boy who, by all accounts, is a real tearaway: a total disregard for manners, rules, other people ad infinitum. No amount of imposing one’s authority seems to have the desired effect, but the threat of a letter home to his parents literally shakes him up.

This made me suspect, along with his behavioiur in school, that something is awry; this inkling has been strengthened by a plea from the boy to another teacher, who had threatened to take the same form of action, because it would lead to a beating or kicking from the father.

Assuming that there is truth in the boy’s claim, which one must is such cases, the letter home has been abandoned for a more humanitarian approach to solving the dilemma, and one which I personally favour.

So, in the true Taoist way of dealing with things, I am now trying to appeal to the boy’s more sensitive side, giving him cuddles, talking to him about things he/I like (videogames, of course) and trying to engage him in English lessons more. I do not expect this to solve the problem, but already he has shown me a much calmer side that I knew existed.

I reckon it’s about time I tried out a few different and peaceful methods of conciliating the unrest present in my school. I have no idea how long I have left, since the headmaster/mistress are on the constant hunt for getting rid of employees they simply cannot afford, so I may as well make the most of it, and gain some personal insight into the mindset of unruly pupils.

As is normally the case, my Tuesday at school has been reasonably stressful and unenjoyable. It is my worst day of the week (six lessons in five hours), and includes the three youngest classes. This usually means trouble.

I have, after only six weeks or so, had enough of the ridiculously respectless behaviour, which causes me unnecessary and unwanted anger. Time, then, to change tactics.

Depending on how long I can keep it up, I am going to avoid becoming riled. I intend to sit patiently until I have all the children’s attention. I have explained to them that I can bring other, more interesting, work with me to do during the periods they are unruly, instead of fighting the noise level.

This idea relies on the children’s desire to learn English. If even a few of them really do not care about learning, then they can totally destroy it for the rest. I believe, though, that nearly all the children do want this knowledge. Either way, it will take time to discover if this method will work, and any parent who finds out about it, and is unhappy that the innocent are suffering because of the trouble-makers, can pose some akward questions.

Part of the goals of the national test that they receive in the fifth year expects children to be able to carry out tasks with the co-operation of others. My only defence of my “go with the flow” plan is that it is just this that the children lack. In order to work with others demands total attention, and since one cannot choose who one co-operates with, all pupils must pull their weight to stand a chance of passing this particular goal.

It is, admittedly, a weak arguement for my decision to pull out of the war, but it ultimately benefits me.