This week, Tauriko School are really excited to announce the launch of the programme ‘Cool Schools’.

This week Tauriko School are really excited to announce the launch of the programme ‘Cool Schools’.

One of the key components of the Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme is that it enables students to act as third party mediators between two or more of their peers, who are caught up in a conflict and want to see it resolved constuctively. Mediation is a process in which a neutral person or persons help the people with the problem (the disputants), to find a positive, mutually acceptable solution to their dispute.

Young people can learn the skills to solve their own problems without teacher intervention if given the trust and opportunity to do so. Statistics show, both in New Zealand and overseas, that young people are very good at learning and using the skills of peaceful conflict resolution. Peer mediators often get to the heart of the problem in just a few minutes and are there to encourage the disputants to come up with their own solution to the problem. It is an empowering process for all concerned that helps young people develop life long, problem solving skills.

Essentially, Cool Schools uses mediators in the playground to assist students who require mediation in regards to low level problems. It is the role of the mediator to listen to issues and question students to help find a solution. There is a script that the mediators use to run the mediation to ensure consistency.

In the playground there will be 4 peer mediators on each day, wearing a high visibility vest.

Thank you to Coco Campion, Ella Wilford, Belicia Reddy and Sophie Neutroski for representing our group of peer mediators by presenting the role of the mediator to each class.

A word from our mediators:

‘I have gained confidence with speaking in front of people’. Ella Wilford 

‘I have learnt how to deal with group situations’. Kobe Taylor  

‘I have found it interesting to understand how different people feel in different situations’. Zoe Davy