Negotiate is a PSHE, Citizenship and Relationship Programme
for Secondary Schools.
Principles and Practice of Negotiate
The philosophy of Negotiate is simple. It is based on the principle that by placing students in a well defined, mutually respectful and supportive situation and with a verbal task to explore with a partner, they will develop inter-personal skills and positive relationships.
Negotiate enables a meaningful dialogue to be established with fellow students.
It provides a forum in which the students can freely explore and share their views on a whole range of relationship, citizenship and world issues in a one to one situation.
Negotiate is an extension of a primary school relationship programme (R time) which has been widely and successfully used throughout Britain and America.
In each 15-20 minute weekly session it requires cooperation with a randomly chosen partner. Fundamental to Negotiate is the expectation and use of good manners, appropriate body language and courtesy, whilst students are engaged in a mutually respectful and productive dialogue.
The Programme
Negotiate is based on "Real Life," "Real World" situations.
Through Negotiate students are enabled to think their way through a given scenario and relate their views or opinions to their partner. Some of these situations they may have already encountered, whilst others, if not already experienced, will almost certainly be met during their adolescent years.
Because the students work each time with a randomly paired partner, Negotiate is instrumental in fostering and developing relationships with a wide range of fellow students. The partner may be someone of the opposite gender or someone who was unknown or even disliked.
This process has the effect of broadening the friendship structure of the class or group. Best friendships are not lost but new friendships are cultivated.
This all happens in an environment where courtesy and good manners between students as well as between teachers and students, are not only expected but become normal, accepted and unremarkable.
The Content
Throughout the programme students are introduced to a variety of scenarios and asked to talk though a given situation with their partner. These scenarios include the exploration of such issues as inter-personal, parental and emotional relationships, as well as bullying, honesty, drug use, rights and responsibilities.
In addition, such world issues as the extinction of animal species, the loss of civilisations, the rights and wrongs of warfare and religious tolerance are explored.
