Pupils and teachers will both operate as mediators

The restorative practice initiative will encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour and apologise to their victims.

Pupils and teachers will act as mediators in the pilot projects in Fife, Highland and North Lanarkshire.

A restorative justice scheme in Glasgow has cut reoffending rates among youths.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said last week that she wanted to double the number of young people taking part in such schemes from 3,000 to 6,000.

Disaffected pupils

Restorative practice is used in schools in the US, Europe and parts of England.

Education Minister Peter Peacock said it had been found to reduce exclusions, resolve bullying issues and motivate disaffected pupils.

The pilot schemes will trial practices such as peer mediation, adult mediation and restorative conferencing.

Under peer mediation a trained pupil will help those involved in the dispute to agree what has happened, what harm has been done and what can be done to put things right.

Making pupils take responsibility for their actions helps put them back on the right track Peter Peacock Education Minister

Under adult mediation, that role will be filled by a trained adult - usually a staff member who is not involved in the dispute.

In both situations the emphaisis will be on apologising, putting the problems in the past and agreeing a way forward.

A trained facilitator will be brought in to deal with ongoing disputes.

A formal conference will be held to agree a solution in which the wrongdoer acknowledges the impact of their actions and apologises to those affected.

Mr Peacock launched the initiative on a visit to Duncan Forbes Primary School, near Inverness, which will be using peer mediation techniques.

He said: "Making pupils take responsibility for their actions helps put them back on the right track.

Behaviour co-ordinators

"It also involves them in improving the learning environment creating schools where everyone wants to be."

He said the announcement was part of ongoing efforts to improve school discipline.

Last week he announced plans to extend a pilot scheme under which teachers were trained as "behaviour co-ordinators" across the country.

"I have made tackling indiscipline a top priority and restorative practice adds to a range of measures I have put in place," added Mr Peacock.

Learning community

Local authority umbrella group Cosla said it was "fully supportive" of the restorative justice project.

Education spokesman the Reverend Ewan Aitken said: "The effectiveness of any learning community can be judged by the quality of the relationships between the members of that community.

"This approach promotes a disciplined environment where young people take responsibility for the consequences of their actions and understand their impact on others.