This article, written by secondary teacher Kate Hadley and published in the Age in April 2023, makes a strong case for a focus on relationships in education, and for a restorative approach when relationships are damaged.
This quote is particularly relevant:
These days, I am fortunate to work in a co-educational school that values relationships above all else. We take a “restorative” approach to behaviour management that others have recently criticised as ineffective. Our core value is respect. This means that knee-jerk reactions and punitive discipline don’t have a place. It means that everyone gets a say when things go wrong.
The article was published in the Age in April 2023.