Choice Theory in New Zealand

  According to the New Zealand Department of Corrections website,  one in every two prisoners is re-convicted and re-imprisoned within four years of release. With a 50% failure rate, is what we are doing working? Anne Tolley, Minister of Corrections wants to reduce this rate by 25%.           How about 3.5%  That is the result of a 2012 longitudinal university study in the Californian Institution for Women. These inmates are being taught how they can have control over their lives  by Instructors from the William Glasser Institute.  Over a period of five years 500 women have spent over 100 hours learning Choice Theory.  There is currently a waiting list of 200 women wanting to be involved.  They request transfers from other prisons to be able to learn this life -changing program. Of the 175 women paroled, only five have returned to prison.  That is 3.5% - a long way better than 25%. This tra...

Watching the recently screened TV program Bullied to Death: The Tragedy of Phoebe Prince, several thoughts came to mind. This scenario is no doubt played over and over throughout the schools in many countries around the world. New female student arrives at a school, leaving behind friends at a previous school. At first the student is popular, perhaps because of a novelty factor. Then the girl is seen as a competitor with the popular boys of the school. The perpetrators join forces to threaten and punish the victim. Without intervention this can be an ongoing barrage - deliberate, calculated, purposeful. Phoebe Prince hung herself, after this ongoing verbal assault over many months became intolerable. A similar scenario occurred at the school when I was deputy principal. The new eleven year old girl arrived – very attractive and bubbly – and at first was welcomed into the group of popular girls. The friendship and the subsequent behaviour of all of the girls deteriorated,...

I watched a current affairs program about the New Zealanders going to live in Australia in their thousands over the last five years. The current situation is that New Zealanders arriving in Australia are temporary citizens, not able to access any government money in the form of grants or benefits. That people cannot access unemployment benefits is a good thing, as it is often too easy to become dependent instead of standing on your own two feet.   However, the argument was the children who have gone with their parents to live in Australia since 2003 are unable to access student loans when they wish to study and will need to pay overseas student fees which are significantly higher. Minister Peter Garrett responded to questions about this situation, stating that New Zealanders were making the choice, knowing this information before they left New Zealand.   He did indicate that there were avenues, government to government that could be undertaken to change this situ...

Raewyn Thorne, Regional Coordinator of the William Glasser Institute-New Zealand has sent in this report of a recent meeting held in New Zealand. Last Thursday a small group of people who had completed a Basic Intensive Week at different times in the last 15 years, met in Tokoroa, part of the Central region with Bette Blance.  After coffee and nibbles and a catch up chat, Tina-Maree Hooper shared a little of her experiences at the Glasser Conference in Los Angeles in June and some of the ideas she had brought back with her.   The Choice Theory chart came to life again as Bette walked around it and linked it to our discussions and behaviours. We also reviewed the axioms of Choice Theory.  Feedback has included "I just learn a little more every time"  and "It's great to have the chance to ask questions in a small group".  We arranged to meet again in November when another 6 or 7 will have completed their Basi...

This story comes from Raewyn Whiteman Thorne who is the Regional Coordinator for the William Glasser Institute - New Zealand.  She is at Tokoroa North Primary School. Her story was about one particular student who came off the field more than a bit stroppy at interval complaining about another student.  He said he was being mean, he wouldn't let him play and was saying mean stuff. The boy stood beside Raewyn huffing and puffing with a bit of swearing.  Raewyn said to him, "So  what do you want?  Do you want to play or to stand here with me, you can only sort out your stuff not the other boy." He stood there sulking for a few minutes and within five minutes was back on the field, hesitantly at  first, then he got over it and did really well. "We reflected later" said Raewyn "and he could tell me exactly how it was and what he had to sort out."   Choice Theory made it so simple.

Those of us committed to Choice Theory in the field of education would most likely agree that if all schools were Glasser Quality Schools, we would have little need for places like the Californian Institution for Women in Los Angeles. And perhaps people like Paul Van Houts, mental health nurse in Townsville in Australia would have fewer clients. And perhaps fewer patients would be in our hospitals. Ah! What a dream  Implementing Choice Theory and its applications in schools takes an enormous amount of time, energy and commitment on the part of everyone in the school. Throughout the world there are schools ‘on the journey’. Some have declared as a GQS while others are working towards it. Even though a school has declared as a GQS it is still always on the journey of continuous improvement. In Australia and New Zealand we have decided to draw up a database of schools ‘on the journey’ to acknowledge and honour their efforts and give their contact details to people want...

During the London Olympic Games opening ceremony young athletes aged between 16 and 19 took turns with the Olympic Torch as they ran around the Olympic stadium.  These young athletes, nominated by various famous British athletes from the past, symbolised the passing of the mantle from the past to the future.     This was reminiscent of the dinner on the final night at the recent William Glasser Association International conference in Los Angeles. In this photo Carleen and Dr Glasser with daughter-in-law Pam Glasser are backed by members of the International Board.  This symbolised the passing of the mantle from Dr Glasser to the International Board and into the future. Juan Pablo Aljure , Colombia, Linda Harshman ( Legal Board), Masaki Kakitan i, Japan, Janet Fain Morgan , USA,  Mirjana Palcic Bubnic ,  Slovenia, Ellen Gelinas , Canada, Mitchell Messina , South Africa, Jim Montagnes , Canada, Lucy Robbins , USA, Ivan Honey Australia and Br...