Tas, Reader's Comment, The reality of teaching 'in the trenches', Lachie Gaylard

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Tas, Reader's Comment, The reality of teaching 'in the trenches', Lachie Gaylard, The Drum, ABC, 25 January 2012: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3790748.html Historical link preserved from the original page.

I abandoned teaching after twelve years - following one assault too many.

I abandoned teaching after twelve years following one assault too many.

Teaching is extremely difficult in public high schools when a small number of out of control children remain in the class room.

The teacher is left as a baby sitter not an educator.

A 12 year old student pointed out to me once that half of every lesson she sat in was disrupted by the same out of control student.

She declared she should have stayed home until July because she was only getting half an education.

In the past we used corporal punishment to quickly, but violently, control unruly students.

Having decided that corporal punishment is no longer acceptable, we have failed to implement satisfactory alternatives.

The alternative is to spend significant amounts of money providing support and alternate programs for those students who can't control themselves in mainstream classrooms.

The small number of places available in special behaviour units/programs etc. is woefully inadequate.

We don't provide enough of those resources, so we leave most of the troubled kids in regular classrooms wreaking havoc - and preventing the majority from getting on with their education.