No one likes hearing complaints about him or herself. Yet during the course of a school day many complaints are made. Children complain about their teachers and one another. Teachers moan about learners, parents and even other staff members. Parents have their gripes. Education department officials complain…sometimes even when a school is outstanding. In most cases a teacher or a senior management team member is expected to deal with complaints.
There are unpleasant consequences if complaints aren’t dealt with speedily. “Word of mouth” gossip starts. Research done in the business world has shown that the average complainant tells between seven and 10 other people. They, in turn, tell others.
If the complainant contacts a newspaper, radio or TV programme, thousands of people join in the “gossip mill”. A complaint printed in the Teacher, for example, could reach 180 000 readers.
Why do people complain? The Scottish Council of Independent Schools stated in 2000 that a person complains because he or she wishes to express dissatisfaction around a real or perceived problem.
A parent may complain, for example, if the he or she thinks that the school has:
Done something wrong;
Failed to do something it should have done; and
Acted unfairly or impolitely.
The quality school doesn’t see complaints in negative terms. A complaining parent often may express the feelings of other parents. Every quality school is in a state of continuous improvement. Valuable tips for school improvement can be learned by listening to the complaining child, parent or staff member.
The complainant is not always innocent. The parent or their child could be at fault. The complained-about teacher – who allegedly always “picks on my little Joe and gives him such a hard time” – might have a legitimate reason for this unhappy relationship. Joe might be disruptive in class and never does his homework. His parents might not return calls made by the teacher to alert them to the situation.
Everyone in the school needs to know the correct procedure to follow if there is a complaint. Here is a guideline given to parents in a newsletter written by the principal:
Any complaints?!
I hope not. Yet if there are any complaints, suggestions or queries, please contact us. Speak to the teacher, grade facilitator, head of department, deputy head or myself. Every reasonable effort is made to respond to the concern on the same day or evening. As a staff, we are committed to giving your child a caring, quality education.
(IR Griffith Primary School, May 7 2006)
What tips are there for handling complaints? Some suggestions are:
Respond quickly by phone or email. In the previous paragraph the principal stated that the school would “try to respond…on the same day or evening”. The longer a person waits for a reply, the angrier he or she will become and the more negative comments are made to others;
Be an attentive and empathic listener. Give the complainant your full attention. Let the person talk without interruption. Try to understand the issue from the complainant’s viewpoint. When someone knows that he or she has been listened to, anger and unhappiness often disappear;
Be courteous and respectful in the discussion process. Keep calm…even when the complainant makes an abusive or unfair comment;
Set up a face-to-face meeting, especially where complex issues need to be resolved, other parties (for example, teachers and learners) are involved or the complainant is highly emotional;
Be even-handed at the meeting. Let all sides fully express their views. There is no place for any form of bias or prejudice;
If the teacher or school is at fault, admit it. Apologise sincerely. Give an assurance that every effort will be made to avoid a repetition;
If the complainant has made an unfair accusation, that person will often apologise. If not, invite the individual to do so; and
Contact the complainant a week or so after the incident. Ask if the matter has been sorted out to his or her satisfaction.
No matter how good the teacher or school is, complaints happen. Don’t be threatened by them. Complaints are opportunities to increase the quality of a school.
The South African Quality Institute (SAQI) has a range of school programmes. Poor schools are sponsored. For more details, contact Vanessa du Toit on 012 349 5006 or Richard Hayward on 011 888 3262. Visit the Education section of SAQI at www. saqi.co.za