Task 1 – The Context of Behaviour Issues
i. Describe and discuss the aspects of national legislation which have relevance to behaviour in the learning environment. (300 words)
There are a number of legislative acts that impact on the learning environment and cater for both learners and staff in any institution. The following Acts: Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (2001); Race Relations Act (1976) and Race Relations (Amendment) Act (2000); Racial and Religious Hatred Act (2006) and the Equality Act (2006) essentially set out that there should be no discrimination against any person on the grounds of race, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief (OPSI, 2009). This is relevant for learners and staff since there should be no discrimination in recruitment, allocation of courses, assessment, the application of college rules and regulations, disciplinary procedures or the provision of resources and facilities. In practical terms this means that an organisation should provide for the needs of different students. This can relate to the physical learning environment – providing accessible classrooms for students with mobility difficulties. However the resources available to provide for inclusion are not necessarily there, especially in the current climate.
At a basic level the concept of inclusion relates to Dreikurs’ theories of behaviour. He suggested that misbehaviour can come about because a person's basic needs of belonging to, and contributing to, a social group are not met (New World Encyclopedia, 2007). It could be argued these legislative acts encourage inclusion thereby helping people to meet their basic needs and consequently reducing misbehaviour.
An organisation must set out policies and procedures that are clearly framed by these Acts. Furthermore, they should ensure that both staff and learners are aware of their rights and responsibilities. This can