Article published in “Politis” newspaper: Andri Agathokleous, as an external trainer of the Prow project, shares her experiences in “Politis” newspaper.

It is commonly accepted that ensuring equal opportunities for inclusive education and a holistic development of children is a key objective of any education system. This requires, among other things, the development and adoption of values, the cultivation of positive attitudes and the opening of effective channels of communication and mutual support between teachers, pupils and parents/guardians. Andri Agathokleous, representing the pool of coaches in Cyprus explains that the ProW project is implemented in 16 pre-primary education schools by the Pedagogical Institute of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth, the Institute of Development and CARDET.

The Positive Behaviour Promotion System is an evidenced-based approach that aims to prevent the occurrence of undesirable behaviours in school through the teaching of desirable behaviours, as opposed to the use of a punitive approach. More specifically, the focus on discouraging unexpected behaviours by adults in school is replaced by designing a structured framework where positive behaviours are taught, promoted and encouraged. To achieve this, the system adopts a holistic approach that includes, among other things, defining a new philosophy of discipline, and teaching expected behaviours, and reinforcing children through rewards. In this way, the school provides an ‘accepting environment’ where positive behaviours are promoted, while non-expected behaviours become learning opportunities and further practice to develop social skills.