When Victor Scott Principal Dr. Gina Tucker read Ronald Morrish's 'With all Due Respect' earlier this year, she knew she had to bring the author to Bermuda to speak to an audience of parents, educators and community leaders.

She contacted the Canadian educator and behaviour consultant and, as they say, the rest is history. Within a short time an agreement was reached to have Mr. Morrish speak at a public forum.

"He was very receptive," said a pleased Dr. Tucker.

"Once I read the book I knew he had to come here. We are committed to doing something different."

That forum will be held tomorrow evening at the Victor Scott School assembly hall at 6.30 ($5 donation) when Mr. Morrish will share practical, effective and immediately applicable strategies for disciplining children.

Mr. Morrish, and educator and behaviour consultant since 1972, has written two books on the subject, the first being 'Secrets of Discipline: 12 Keys for Raising Responsible Children', which was published in 1997.

The second book, 'With All Due Respect: Keys For Building Effective School Discipline', was published in 2000. Dr. Tucker was so impressed with it that she made it required reading for her school staff of 26, including the custodians, during the summer after each were handed copies of the book at the end of the school year.

Dr. Tucker is inviting parents of Victor Scott students, educators and the community generally to take advantage of the forum and Mr. Morrish's vast experience. He is an international speaker and workshop leader and has helped countless teachers and parents improve their skills for teaching children to be responsible, cooperative and respectful.

"As most of the community will know, Victor Scott has faced various challenges over the last several years, one being discipline," said the principal.

"That's a common challenge for many schools. We realise that without discipline we will not achieve the success that we would hope for our students or for the school. One teacher having a disciplined classroom, or being able to manage their classroom effectively, will not enable us to have a disciplined school.

"In our research of looking for a programme that will support our development of a school discipline plan versus a classroom plan that is positive, proactive, preventive and promotes the kind of independence we would like for the students to have - where they do engage in what's right on their own - we came across Ronald Morrish's books.

"We immediately saw that he could help us in a unique way. He brings to the table a level of thinking that's very practical, very hands-on and easy to adopt and gives you a whole way of thinking how you manage behaviours and create such behaviours where we are all responding to young people in similar ways."

Mr. Morrish's visit is timely as teachers returned to classrooms this week, to be followed next week by the students. Dr. Tucker is excited about what lies ahead for the new school year.

"We know that we have to have rules and limits here, but we have to train young people to work within those limits and rules," said Dr. Tucker.

Dr. Tucker noted that it is not about reacting to behaviour but rather developing or nurturing the behaviour that adults would like for the children to have.

Copies of both Mr. Morrish's books will be available for sale at the forum.

"His books are very easy to read and very practical, and 'With all Due Respect' is so appropriate because we are all due that respect," said Dr. Tucker.

"We particularly felt this book hit it on the head because of the title and it suggests all of us are due respect when we engage in disciplining young people.

"We, at Victor Scott, are committed to having our students develop into respectful, responsible, cooperative young people who can be trusted to behave when we are not looking. That's our commitment.

Dr. Tucker believes it is important for parents and teachers to work together in enforcing discipline.

"It's our commitment to work with parents, and have parents work with us," she says.

"Children act one way at home and at school they are another way. That's due to the kind of interaction they experience in one place and the kind of response they get when they engage in some form of behaviour.

"We are definitely encouraging the Victor Scott School parents to come out. It is just before the school starts and we need them to be here. All parents, community leaders and educators will benefit greatly from this kind of public forum, because he gives practical, immediately applicable strategies that parents can go home and use right away."

She warned: "It may be just the way you say something."

The Pembroke school has approximately 200 students, from various backgrounds.

"It's very diverse, the staff is very diverse and we feel that is a positive for the school," said Dr. Tucker who is entering her second year as principal.

"At this level we have a great opportunity to impact on our students in a profound way. They are impressionable and we believe if we can do this challenging but very rewarding work, the community will reap the benefits as the young people move up.

"What concerns me personally as an educator and parent is we are reacting to older children, and we have to question how young people become major discipline challenges.

"It's a challenge but we're up for the challenge at Victor Scott School. We're really looking at what we do at this level in terms of discipline and how we work with young people to ensure that each child individually, and all students collectively, achieve success."

One parent of a student at Victor Scott who asked that her name not be used, urges all parents of school age children to be supportive of the Island's teachers.

She read one of Mr. Morrish's books.

"The parents need to get involved in the schools more, play a bigger role and talk to the children's teachers more often, like once a month and not wait for the teacher to contact them," she urged.

Dr. Tucker vowed: "We're committed to working with all parents. This (discipline) is not an easy aspect of education, but it is a critical one. Without it we pretty much have our hands tied, when we cannot have a disciplined school of children.

"This is about school discipline, not classroom discipline, and how we can come together as a school. Because if one teacher responds one way, another teacher responds another way, and when they go to the principal's office and he or she is responding another way, children are getting all sorts of messages all mixed up.

"The custodians are definitely positioned to have a wonderful impact on young people, so they play an important role in this plan as well."

The issue of discipline in schools is a major one in this community.

"We know that discipline is probably the number one factor affecting student achievement," said the principal.

"We know that schools and students cannot be successful without having a disciplined environment. The Minister of Education (Paula Cox) has committed herself to ensuring that a code of conduct is in place to assist and support schools in the disciplining of students."