I taught in Sydney primary schools during the 70's and 80's.
Children simply were not disruptive and violent in those days.
I began teaching in Queensland at about the time that the cane was banned in schools.
And the children's behaviour rapidly deteriorated.
Every year there seemed to be more and more children in each class with significant behavioural problems.
I observed that Queensland school principals were often reluctant to contact parents and tell them the truth about their children.
The principals seemed to be afraid that the parents would complain about them.
Letters to the Editor, Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday June 19, 2008
Russel Riley, Thornlie, describes some of the major incidents during the past few years at his Perth primary school.
His school was one of the first in Western Australia to experience a police lock-down and search of the grounds by armed TRG with dogs.
The lock-down lasted from 9am to 12.30pm.
During that three and a half hours, teachers, staff and students were all locked in the classrooms together with no access to toilets.
Two armed parents began fighting over a carpark space at the end of a school day, while students were trying to get home safely.
Three staff were held hostage in the principal's office by a recently released prisoner who was armed.
A parent was not happy because their child had been stopped from fighting with another student.
So the parent went to a staff member's house at the weekend and began making threats and throwing stones and gum nuts.
Try a stint at my school, Russel Riley, Letters to the Editor, p.22, The West Australian, quoted on the PLATOWA website Historical link preserved from the original page.
Monday April 28, 2008
Toni Sharkey, principal of Newcomb Secondary College in Geelong, had worked as a teacher for 38 years.
For most of that time she had worked at "difficult" schools.
A parent at the school was known to have a short fuse and to indulge in angry rants.
Ms Sharkey had managed to calm her down before.
But in 2006 the mother was out of control.
Ms Sharkey had suspended her son because he had arrived at school one day with baseball bats,
Two other boys were with him, neither of whom were pupils at the school.
They were planning to settle a score with another student.
After screaming and carrying on at me, she (the mother) grabbed me by the top of the arm and around my neck with the other hand and threw me on the ground, " Ms Sharkey recalls. "I didn't know what was happening,
Fortunately the assistant principal, who was working in his nearby office, heard the escalation of the swearing and abuse.
He was able to intervene.
The physical injuries that Ms Sharkey suffered during the assault, and the mental and emotional effects of the assault, have affected Ms Sharkey's health.
She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and she is unlikely to return to work.
She is shocked by the situation in which she now finds herself.
She had never thought about retiring or resigning from her work.
Ms Sharkey says that schools are too exposed.
She wants to see security procedures developed to protect staff and students.
"Schools are very much open slather to anybody who wants to create a fuss, " she says.
... I am so tired of hearing about teachers being under the scrutiny of bullying in schools. For goodness sake, let's put the other side of the story out there.
Brian Burgess, president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, described an incident at Eumemmerring College which prompted an emergency lockdown at the school.
A male parent was rampaging through the school yard, trying to find a teacher.
The parent thought the teacher had abused his son.
The teacher concerned was pregnant.
The student concerned was a difficult year 9 student who had told his father a pack of lies.
The father had over-reacted.
Mary Bluett, president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Education Union, described a recent incident. Historical link preserved from the original page.
A father walked into a classroom and abused a teacher in front of 27 grade 2 students.
He then turned to the students and told them that their teacher was a cr*p teacher and that they should tell their parents.
Then he stormed out.
The parent trap, Elisabeth Tarica, The Age.
Saturday 19 April 2008
Robert Bartholomew, an American sociology professor, has lived in Australia for 13 years.
He has spent several years working as a teacher in remote schools.
He was working as a teacher in Ali Curong (also called Alekarenge), 170km south of Tennant Creek and on the edge of the Tanami desert in the Northern Territory.
He "blew the whistle" on the Northern Territory's crumbling education system.
He said that walking into the Alekarenge School was like entering the third world.
Conditions at the Alekarenge school are so bad that only one of the six teachers who statrted work at the school in January 2008 have made it through to Term 2.
A spokesman for the Northern Territory Education Department said four teachers, not five, had left the school: two had taken up promotional positions, one was on maternity leave and one was following her partner to his new job in a different community.
In 2005 a report had identified an asbestos risk to children and staff both inside the school and in the playground.
The report alarmed the community.
Dr Bartholomew claims that the Education Department ignored the asbestos report.
The Education Department claim that this is untrue, and that all of the recommendations of the report had been implemented.
Dr Bartholomew said that he raised his concern about education and safety standards within the school for weeks.
"I was told my standards were too high, " he said.
Then the department told him he was going be transferred to a different school.
But, despite having successful interviews at other schools, he has not been able to get another job as a teacher.
Dr Bartholomew believes that he has been "blackballed" by the department.
He is now technically an illegal immigrant.
Former colleagues of Dr Bartholomew, including school principals, spoke of him as a model teacher.
The Australian Education Union's Northern Territory branch secretary, Adam Lampe, said that Dr Bartholomew had been treated with contempt. Historical link preserved from the original page.
This week, Northern Territory Education Minister Marion Scrymgour admitted that remote schools were in crisis.
Whistleblower loses job, Natasha Robinson, The Australian Historical link preserved from the original page.
Community rallies for teacher, Natasha Robinson, P.10, The Nation, The Weekend Australian. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Monday April 7, 2008
A male teacher was hit over the head as he tried to stop five teenagers armed with baseball bats and a machete rampaging through Merrylands High School at 8.50am (AEST) today, police said.
The teacher was taken to hospital with bruising to the back of his head while trying to restrain one of the youths, the Ambulance Service of NSW said.
18 students were injured in the attack, most with cuts and abrasions from broken glass, although one girl was taken to hospital with a swollen cheek after allegedly being assaulted by one of the teenagers.
One student was taken to Westmead Children's Hospital with a facial injury.
Police said five youths stormed an assembly in an outdoor quadrangle, brandishing baseball bats and a machete, prompting teachers to "lock down" the school.
Students were locked inside their classrooms for safety.
Det-Insp Stewart said he was stunned by the brazenness of the incident.
"It beggars belief..., " he said.
The unnamed mother of a Year 12 student praised the actions of teachers who put their lives on the line to protect students at Merrylands High School during the attack.
The children were told to go into "lockdown procedure" and so they went to whatever lockdown classroom they're meant to be in and they go through the roll call to make sure their groups are there at which point these people started to smash windows.
The students were told to get under tables while the youths were smashing windows.
The teachers were actually (barricading) the door for these guys which is really way above the call of duty, which is really good, " the parent said.
They showed the parents that they put their life on the line for the kids.
School attack may have been revenge, Simon Kirby, Karen Davis and Danny Rose, AAP, The Courier-Mail. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Teachers 'put lives on the line', AAP, The Courier-Mail. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Friday April 4, 2008
Maree Anne McCormack, aged 54, was employed as a textiles, health and art teacher at Patterson River Secondary College, at Carrum in Melbourne, from February 1994.
Ms McCormack became anxious and stressed after a number of confrontations with students.
Ms McCormack was abused "in a particularly nasty fashion" in mid-2005 by a male student.
Ms McCormack told her doctor about the difficulties she faced in her job and about a lack of support from her employer.
In March 2006 she was working in a portable classroom with no way of contacting the office.
A female student accused Ms McCormack of kicking her.
Then the student withdrew the allegation.
But the principal made a remark that seemed to indicate a lack of support for MsMcCormack.
The situation affected Ms McCormack's health.
Workcover rejected her claim for compensation.
But Melbourne County Court Judge Bowman ruled that there was overwhelming evidence that Ms McCormack had suffered an injury at work and that she should receive compensation.
Harassed teacher wins compo, Michelle Draper, AAP: The Courier-Mail. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Tuesday 18 March 2008
Dance teacher Despina Rosales claims she was "punched, kicked, spat at and hit repeatedly" by up to seven female students while trying to drive out of the carpark of Randwick Girls High School in Sydney's east.
One of the students accused Ms Rosales, 35, of driving over her foot.
But it was Ms Rosales who required medical treatment at Prince of Wales Hospital for a "serious blow to the right side of her head".
One lunchtime at a western Sydney high school a male Year 7 student was playing tackle football in the playground with his friends.
The female teacher on duty asked the boys to stop tackling because it was against school rules.
They ignored her so she confiscated their football.
After negotiations the students agreed to stop tackling and the teacher handed the ball back to them.
But the Year 7 boy confronted the teacher and held a replica automatic pistol to her head for "about one minute".
At a regional high school in southwest NSW a Year 9 male student left his seat and creept up on the teacher.
He placed a toy gun against her head and pulled the trigger.
Then he ran into other classes, hurling abuse and waving the gun around.
A teacher's aide also had the weapon placed against her head and the trigger pulled.
The father of a disturbed Year 7 boy became aggressive during a meeting at a secondary school on the NSW Central Coast.
He pulled out a "mini replica pistol" and pointed it at the school counsellor's face.
At a special school on the North Coast of NSW a 14-year-old student threw 15 punches at the teacher trying to restrain him.
Three or four punches connected with the teacher's face and head.
Special needs" teachers seem to be particularly vulnerable to being attacked at work, injured and driven into an impoverished early retirement.
You need to consider this possibilty very, very carefully if you feel 'called' to work with 'special needs' children.
In southwest Sydney a Year 9 boy sprayed a can of deodorant into a teacher's mouth with such force that it caused his nose to bleed.
A man reports that his teacher partner was hit with a lump of concrete that was thrown at her while she was writing on the blackboard.
A NSW primary school teacher was threatened with assault by an intoxicated mother.
Her husband, a police officer, forced the reluctant principal to ban the parent.
"At least I can protect myself when dealing with violent persons, however these teachers cannot, " he says.
"It is disgraceful situation and is getting out of hand and the Education Department should hang its head in shame.
The slap on the wrist approach has not worked in the past 15 years and it is about time some changes were made to make children and their parents accountable for their crimes.
Teachers forced to bite bullet, Bruce McDougall, The Daily Telegraph. Historical link preserved from the original page.
Monday 17 March 2008
Former NSW Central Coast teacher Richard Neville is one of many who has left the profession out of fear for their safety.
He ended his 12-year career as a high school teacher after two students attacked him with scissors and a lump of wood.
Now a fireman, Mt Neville said he found the job "safer than teaching".
The boy who came at me with the pair of scissors and the one who took the swing at me with a lump of wood were 13 year olds, " Mr Neville said.
Department of Education and Training incident reports show teachers are regularly threatened with firearms or other weapons - from broken bottles to knives - by students, parents or intruders.
The issue tops the list of teachers' concerns in secondary schools (more than 65 per cent).
Teachers flee schools as attacks rise, AAP and the Daily Telegraph, http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23387305-1242,00.html? from=public_rss Historical link preserved from the original page.
Friday February 22, 2008
P. McGowan of Thornlie wrote a Letter to the Editor of The West Australian (The letter was also quoted on the PLATOWA website) - Historical link preserved from the original page.
"I am in my 50s and have been a teacher for more than half my life.
I have always had a sense of pride in my chosen profession and my ability to do a good job.
I feel that I have been a positive influence in the lives of the many children I have taught.
"I still enjoy the craft of teaching but now I find myself feeling that I would like to pull the pin on my career.
I am unable to do this because of my personal circumstances; in fact, I will need to continue working for a significant number of years.
I will continue to do my utmost to do the best job that I am capable of. The (job) is too important to do otherwise.
"I now find myself heading into the last phase of my career feeling undervalued, overworked, frustrated and depressed.
Sadly, I suspect that I may be voicing the feelings of many of my mature-age peers...
"The workload has more than doubled in the course of my career, actual teaching seeming to have become secondary to the continually increasing demands on teachers to produce data, evidence and assessment facts and figures.
These massive and growing demands for documentation, although having a place, rob teachers of time which could be better spent devising effective, interesting and even innovative ways by which they could be optimising the learning opportunities of the children in their classrooms.
Those who know and live with teachers bemoan widely-held negative attitudes about our "short" working days, long holidays and "high" salaries; they are often our only advocates.
Tuesday, February 5 2008