Elementary Staff Like Idea of Buddy Bench

The buddy bench deems to be a good idea according to elementary staff.

 

Anita Whittal, an elementary teacher at Christ the King Catholic School, likes the idea of the buddy bench. Originating in Europe, the buddy bench has recently boomed in the United States. The bench sits in the playground of the school and is usually decorated to be noticeable. The purpose is to give children a place to go and imply that they would like to play without having to ask.

 

“I think it’s a fantastic idea,” said Whittal. “The buddy bench would bring the responsibility upon themselves to be that empathetic citizen, rather than being teacher directed.”

 

Christ the King Elementary school will be converting to a French Immersion within the next few years and Whittal said she expects this will bring more diversity to the school.

 

“It would especially be used more often with kids coming from other boundaries, who may not know each other,” Whittal said. “In the future, it will definitely be something to implement.”

 

Nadia French, the secretary at Notre Dame Catholic Elementary School, is also interested in the idea. She said there are some kids in the schoolyard that could use some friends or even confidence to approach the other students.

 

“I think it’s great. We move in a direction where if you don’t try something, how would you know if it works or not,” said French. “If the kids are not confident enough, this could bring confident students to them.”

 

Bullying has become an issue across the world. Forty-seven per cent of Canadian parents report having a child who is a victim of bullying, according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in 2013. Almost half the children in Canada have reported being bullied. The buddy bench is an idea with the hope of bullying being abolished. The goal is for the bench to just be a decoration at some point because everyone will already be playing together.

 

The concept is spreading across the United States, a school in Winnipeg that followed up and is testing the buddy bench. It is only a matter of time until it is all over Canada as well.