School mediation

Why should you involve specialist help in managing conflicts in nursery and school?

• An external impartial, methodologically trained professional helps to create the necessary background for peaceful, constructive conflict resolution. He or she takes into account the feelings and thoughts of all concerned and helps to find common solutions.
• It also helps you consider aspects that are essential for lasting cooperation.
• The trainers of Partners Hungary Foundation are practitioners involved as mediators and restorative facilitators in the peaceful resolution of conflicts in kindergartens and schools.
• We also work in institution-wide programmes to help create functioning communities in kindergartens and schools through modern tools for cooperation and conflict management.

What does the mediation process look like in kindergarten or school?

1. When we are approached by a parent, teacher or principal for help with conflict resolution, we will consult with each person on the phone to understand exactly what is at stake and what approach to take.
2. We will then provide you with an individual offer with a precise process description and price.
3. A joint meeting may require longer preparation, and it may be worth talking separately to stakeholders or stakeholder groups. This may involve talking to the people directly concerned first, then expanding to include parents, other teachers and, in schools, even students, as conflicts in the community can be managed effectively if community members are active participants in the process: joint solutions are more durable.
4. Afterwards, we will sit down together with all stakeholders for a discussion. It is important to know that one conversation does not usually bring lasting improvement, as it takes time to build a new way of working together in a difficult situation, which requires rebuilding trust between the parties.
5. If an agreement is reached, we will put it in writing. It is not a legal document, but a reminder to the participants that will serve as a handhold in the process of building cooperation after mediation.

What can I do as a teacher to prevent and manage conflicts in schools?

If you feel that you need to bring in an external professional, please contact the head of the school and contact us! We tailor the process of mediation or restorative talks in schools to each situation and its actors, with a specific offer, and work together to enable those involved in the conflict to sit down together and find common and lasting solutions through mediation or restorative practices.
In addition, teachers can become conflict specialists through our accredited mediation and restorative practice training.

What can I do as a parent if my child is in conflict with peers or teachers?

• It is important not to be emotionally alone in the situation, and to seek out people you trust and can share your concerns with. In addition, a joint meeting with the people involved can in itself go a long way to allowing everyone to share their own perspective and to reach important understandings. Ask for a meeting where everyone can tell their story and find common solutions.
• And if you want to involve a professional, it is important that you consult the class teacher and the head teacher beforehand, so that you can start a conflict management process together. It is worth contacting the school social worker and school psychologist who can help keep the conversation on track.
• As an external expert, we can also help to clarify what happened, who was affected and what can be done to improve the situation. Contact us and we will support you in resolving your conflicts with methods tailored to the situation and with the utmost attention.