A child advocacy group has set up a therapeutic intervention programme to help prevent students with behavioural problems from falling through the cracks.

The Royal Gazette understands that the programme comes in the wake of increasing suspensions in public schools.

Last year close to 500 students were suspended from public schools and ten percent of them remained out of class for 45 days.

Of the 491 students suspended, 25 percent were suspended more than twice.

The majority of suspensions reportedly took place for "continued misconduct'' which generally means their behaviour was disruptive, often aggressive, confrontational or simply just passive and non-compliant.

But with few exceptions, suspended students reportedly returned to school no more cooperative, motivated or productive than when they left.

This, according to chairperson of the Coalition for the Protection of Children Sheelagh Cooper, indicated that discipline in the traditional education system was not working.

"If punishment was an effective tool in molding children's behaviour, than these kids would be model kids,'' Mrs. Cooper said. "They have been subjected to extreme punishment in their lives and increasing that punishment only serves to further alienate them and frustrate them.'' The Fresh Start programme, which is in the pilot stage, will get into full swing in September.

The Coalition will open its doors on Mount Hill, Pembroke for 25 students who have either been suspended from middle and senior schools or have been referred to Fresh Start due to their inability to cope in a regular school setting.

Mrs. Cooper has been meeting with CedarBridge Academy principal Ernest Payette, two behavioural therapists at the school, and senior education officer for Student Services, Joeann Smith, for the past six months to develop the programme.

"The programme is based on an individual programme-planning approach based on students' needs,'' Mrs. Cooper explained.

"The Fresh Start programme curriculum attempts to strike a balance between cognitive, emotional and social development while keeping students on target with their core subjects during their period of suspension.

"This represents a radical departure from normal discipline in schools,'' she added. "This is a real paradigm shift from educational practices based on a belief that you have to reach a child's heart before you can educate them. It will address the emotional and psychological issues as well as family issues that these children are facing, before educating them.

"Our job is not only to treat the student, but the student's family. Our goal is healing. It goes beyond normal boundaries than a school will go, understandably teachers don't have the time to address such issues.'' Each student will undergo an initial assessment; goal-setting and programme-planning, bi-weekly individual counselling; and referral to outside agencies for specialised therapeutic intervention such as drug treatment, psychiatric evaluation, etc.

Fresh Start also comprises family therapy, anger management, mediation, music therapy, academic support including computer-based learning in Maths and English and the study of art, drama and film-making, community service and physical education.

"Right now we have two therapists, a teacher, a programme coordinator, and a number of people providing programmes on a voluntary basis. This includes artists who will do art therapy, music therapy, and Forty Rego offers boxing during the evening. We have a big gym downstairs. This is going on every night of the week,'' Mrs. Cooper said.

"I don't think we can deal with more than 25 students at a time.

"But we have the capacity to increase our staff. The student-teacher ratio will be one staff member to every two students.'' How Fresh Start helped two "warring'' students: Lifestyle, Page 29