BACKGROUND

Strong social relationships in schools are the basis on which everything else stands and weak relationships can be considered to be one of the root causes for many other problems our educational system is facing today, including bullying and aggression, misbehavior and conflicts, new teachers leaving school and dropout. A positive school climate is one of those things that is difficult to define and measure, but everyone recognizes it when they see it and this is based on strong relationships.

Students appreciate a school environment where bullying is unusual, where students do not feel out of place, and where establishing genuine and respectful relationships with teachers is the norm. PISA 2018 shows that school climate is closely associated with students’ sense of well-being. (OECD 2019) It is clear that bullying can have adverse – and potentially longlasting – effects on students’ performance at school and general well-being. (OECD 2019). Given the harmful consequences that bullying can have on students’ well- being, policy makers, principals and teachers need to devise effective policies and practices to limit bullying and building a culture of good behavior, establishing clear anti-bullying rules, and creating a positive school climate, where students feel engaged and socially connected, is essential for preventing bullying. (OECD 2019)

Teachers are a critical education resource in every country. From early childhood programmes through primary and secondary school, the presence of qualified, well-motivated and supported teachers is vital for student learning. Yet teacher shortages remain a serious concern (UNESCO 2015). For example every year in Estonia approximately 800 novice teachers start working in schools. By the 5th year 50% of them leave school (Ministry of Education, EHISe data 2010-2016 about general education). This has put Estonian educational system under a lot of pressure because there are not enough teachers. One of the main reasons for that based on research is the lack of supportive relationships on different levels (M. Meristo, Personal and Contextual Factors Shaping Novice Teachers’ Early Professional Career).

Feeling safe (both students and teachers) in the school opens up personal resources that are necessary for learning and teaching in a meaningful way. Schools model the relationships that will be carried out in the outer world and this is why it is crucial to learn how to take responsibility for your actions through awareness and right attitude. It’s important to have the necessary knowledge, tools and practices to do so. Although people tend to think of restorative approaches applying only when things go wrong, in fact the pro-active elements are by far the most important. In this regard there is overlap with work a school may already be doing to develop active and more participatory teaching and learning styles, social and emotional skills, community cohesion, greater student voice and participation, and preventative policies to minimize the risk of bullying. The key lies in systematic whole- school adoption of a restorative ethos and culture and a consistent use of restorative thinking and skills in every classroom by every teacher (Hopkins 2015).

Restorative practices give people a chance to take responsibility, to understand their actions or potential actions from someone else’s viewpoint, and to make amends and foremost help build good relationships. Relationship building plays a hugely positive role in students’ social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes (Y. Anyon, B. Atteberry-Ash, J. Yang, M. Pauline, K. Wiley, D. Cash, B. Downing, E. Greer & L. Pisciotta). Different restorative practices – far more than punitive methods – help to prevent future infractions. And, ultimately, they help the student become a better, more successful citizen. Schools are responsible for professional execution of the learning process and establishing a supportive and safe development environment. Conflicts and misunderstandings occurring during a day should be resolved constructively and restorative practices will offer a systematic whole school approach for that. This means that schools and teachers need appropriate skills and tools to address those complex social situations in schools.

This project is trying to solve mentioned problems, by offering the opportunity for continuous training for school teams which is based on a strong curriculum and tools and guidelines that will support teachers and schools everyday work while implementing restorative practices to transform relationships in schools. Sustainable forms of cooperation and networking are needed to include different parties and make sure that everybody takes responsibility for their actions. Good relationships form the basis of a good organization culture.