What is education mediation?

Education mediation brings students, educators, and parents together to discuss and resolve conflicts together, reaching mutually amendable resolutions through direct communication.

Rather than suffering through costly and time consuming public court proceedings, mediation offers impartial, informal, and private conciliation to let parties explain themselves, clarifying misconceptions in the process. By re-establishing and facilitating familiar communication, Winsby Leyburn brings everyone to the same page, helping them move forward together.

Furthermore, education mediation can be used in more niche scenarios, such as debates over the university constitution or issues arising around international student visas.

Whether grappling with a small child’s reading class, a university level authorship dispute, a disagreement over a visa, or a challenge to the university constitution, education mediation is customised to your situation. By staying out of the courtroom, you can get back to the classroom.

Why education mediation?

Mediation works for many types of disagreement resolutions, but education mediation is of particular importance, because it helps faculty, students, and parents stay focused on what’s important—education.

In terms of minor children, these disputes often arise from disagreements over whether the child’s needs are being met at school, a space that is intended to be safe. Rather than supplanting these issues into an intimidating tribunal setting, informal mediation brings both sides to the table, an approach that keeps the conversation stress free for all involved, especially the child.

Further, education mediation actively involves the student, giving him or her input regarding matters that are personally important, while also teaching valuable communication tools.

With regard to university and college level concerns—for example, issues arising from group academic work or thesis advisors—our education mediation offers a streamlined, effective, and efficient route to putting conflicts behind you and getting back to the work you love in the classroom.

Education mediation is also ideal for resolving friction resulting from university constitutions. For example, mediation can be effectively used in debates over rules perceived to be unfair, or if a particular person is accused of violating the school’s code of conduct. Resolving the matter through mediation allows both sides to voice their concerns without fear of public involvement or retribution.

Settling questions or discord surrounding immigration visas for international students is another area in which education mediation can be helpful. Rather than involving authorities, which puts undue stress on the student and faculty alike, education mediation allows the matter to be handled privately and confidentially.

Regardless of the education level or concern, all participants in education mediation speak to one another, rather than through lawyers or representatives, in order to reach a resolution to disagreements that is amenable to everyone involved.

Related activities— Student Mediation Competition

Winsby Chairman Nigel Chapman will be participating as a judge in the Bristol Law Society’s 11th annual UK Student Mediation Competition on the 25th and 26th of January, 2019.

The competition is being held this year at the Business School on the Frenchay campus of the University of the West of England, last year’s winner. Twenty teams of three university students each will conduct mock mediation sessions. They will be judged by their process, rather than by the results, providing viewers an excellent opportunity to observe what distinguishes a good mediator from a great one.

We are all looking forward to the event, and we hope to see you there!