The Zero Harm Principle

The Zero Harm Principle

By Paul McCann

When he got to school, he saw the front office window was broken . There was a line-up of children outside the principal’s office waiting to give their account of what happened and who broke the glass . The children in the queue looked worried as they all were getting ready to face the headmasters questioning . As the morning progressed it was clear that the culprit was going to get away with breaking the window . 

At Garden Street primary school no one had ever been caught for breaking windows at the school .

The person who broke it was always protected . The children all stuck together . Nobody liked a squealer and if anyone ever snitched, they would be dealt with accordingly by all the school and be outcast for the rest of their school life .

The School Principal made a sign that was put up in every class that said .

Glass Is Fragile -

Don’t Throw Stones .

Mr Fingerton was on schoolyard duty that day and walked around the playground keeping an eye on things . One of the boys had brought a football to school and a small group joined in for a game during lunch break . Like a magnet the ball drew at least four everywhere it was passed around .

It was a crazy mixed up free for all game where rules didn’t apply . Whoever had the ball passed it really quick as they would be tackled by at least four others trying to get hold of it .

Mr Fingerton had to intervene and take young master Stits from the ruck as he was hit by five tackles at once that led to him getting dumped to the ground resulting in a nosebleed . Mr Fingerton took him into the front office where he would get attention in sick room and then he returned to the schoolyard .

On the way along the corridor a young boy walking on crutches slowly passed him . He never knew the lads face and assumed he was a new student but then the boy disappeared into thin air .

It was a strange appearance that made him think of the dangers of playing football with wearing some kind of padding .

From that day on football was not allowed to be played during lunch breaks because of the risks of someone getting injured . Games had to be played following proper rules and on the football oval above the schoolyard where it was meant to be played .

The following day Mr Fingerton had arrived at school and was parking his car in the teacher’s car park when he had another vision of a boy in a wheelchair coming to school . He was being pushed by an older boy .

Both of them disappeared before they got to the front door of the school . It prompted him to start a school campaign about keeping safe in the school playground .

He spoke with the principal about the idea of getting all the children in the school involved with the safety-first campaign where each class would make a poster that would be put up around the school for everyone to see .

The principal liked the idea and spoke about that with all the teachers at morning tea .

That week posters appeared all over the school with different messages written on large sheets of white paper .

Each message would make a statement such as …

“Keep Control Playing in The Schoolyard

Remember To Play Safe

Don’t Play Hard .”

“Avoid Injuries everyone .

Games Are Meant

To Be Played for Fun . “

“Make School Breaks

Ache Free Zones

Boys are made.

of flesh and bones “

“Walk around the school at a slow pace , corridors are not the place to race .”

The champagne brough an awareness of safety as well as a uniformity of action between all the teachers and students . This resulted to some behaviour changes between students and their teachers like an apple would be left on the teacher’s desk and flowers presented to the lady teacher by students .

Mr Fingerton was very happy about the result of his campaign .

In all the classrooms there was a kindness being shared made school a nice place to be .

The End