The similarities between this Canadian teacher's story and the April 19 2008 story about Robert Bartholomew, the American sociology professor working in the Northern Territory, suggest that this is may be a cultural clash.
The Canadian teacher and the American sociology professor tried to deal with problems at their schools.
They did not realise that in Aussie culture dealing with problems is not valued.
Not talking about problems is valued.
I suspect this is related to the convict roots of Aussie culture.
Every early Aussie convict had to work in silent obedience for seven years in order to gain his or her 'ticket of leave'.
And Aussie teachers are treated like convicts - sent out to remote areas, far away from their families, to work fearfully till they have earned their 'ticket of leave' - the right to return home.
The Aussie culture still values silent obedience.
And teaching problems are allowed to fester for years, because teachers who try to deal with problems are attacked and denigrated as 'arrogant troublemakers' in Australia.
details of a related article Little Monsters Rule, Phil Hickey, The Mandurah Coastal Times, can be found on the PLATOWA website news page.
Tuesday July 1, 2008
Retired teacher Lynda Beck of Rozelle wrote a Letter to the Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.
She retired one year ago.
The Sydney Morning Herald had reported that parents did not generally perceive that their children had serious conduct problems.
But teachers do.
In Lynda Beck's experience, children are now more disruptive and violent than they were a generation ago.
But modern parents do not acknowledge this, due to the cult of preciousness and encouragement of egocentricity that has evolved.
If a child was disobedient or violent in the 1970's and 80's, generally a discussion with the parents would result in a workable solution.
Now the parents frequently inform the teacher that the child's misbehaviour is someone else's fault.
Or that the teacher is picking on them.