Dr Michelle Burman and colleagues in Scotland found that all but a tiny handful of the schoolgirls they questioned had directly witnessed some kind of personal violence.

Burman’s work (at www1.rhbnc.ac.uksociopolitical-sciencevrpFindingsrfburman.PDF) is part of the Economic and Social Research Council’s Violence Research Programme (VRP).

Another VRP report tells us how schools can be more resilient and less troubled by outside violence. Dr Roger Hewitt’s team from Goldsmiths College, London, have concluded that trouble in school is not simply a reflection of the surrounding community. Talking helps. And a lack of good communication between teachers and pupils can lead to trouble even in schools with more favoured neighbourhoods. (See www1.rhbnc.ac.uksociopolitical-sciencevrpFindingsrfhewitt.PDF). The VRP is directed by Professor Elizabeth Stanko of Royal Holloway, University of London, and its website is at www1.rhbnc.ac.uksociopolitical-sciencevrprealhome.htm.

GIVEN simple software and an open attitude, teachers could use Internet discussion rooms to get advice from their pupils on how to teach more effectively.

This year’s conference of the British Educational Leadership Management and Administration Society (BELMAS) heard Mervyn Flecknoe of Leeds Metropolitan University claim that research supports his claim that constructive and helpful ideas could be expected and that invective was unlikely.

The indirect sending and storing of messages allowed by the Internet could encourage quiet or reluctant pupils to reveal their learning needs, he said.

A plan for building pupils’ contributions into the improvement of teaching in schools is part of his paper. The full text is online at www.leeds.ac.ukeducoldocuments00001900.htm.

Other papers at the conference are summarised at the BELMAS website at www.shu.ac.ukbemaspprs01.html.

Sam Saunders

Readers can email suggestions on future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk