The human cost of NSW's teacher oversupply, Anna Patty, The Sy

Reader's Comment, The human cost of NSW's teacher oversupply, Anna Patty, The Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October 2014

East Hills Boys High: teachers worried about security.

A group of teachers at East Hills Boys High (Sydney) approached the principal with their fears over security at the school amid extremist graffiti - including the slogan " ISIS R coming" - being sprayed across the campus.

Teachers urged to dob in radicals, Simon Benson, p. 5, The Courier-Mail, 1 November 2014. Historical link preserved from the original page.

Sydney high school teacher: the admin blame teachers when students misbehave.

When I was teaching at a Sydney high school I was called a " pedo", verbally abused, spat on, assaulted, endured death threats, slandered on a teacher hate website, stalked and endured threats of having my teenage daughter raped.

The school administration put all this down to " poor classroom management".

This is in spite of the fact that at a previous school a number of the students I had taught achieved at the highest level.

Commentators express the view that " only the best and brightest" should go into teaching.

Sure.

Richard Porter

Letter to the Editor, p.6, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 2-3 August 2014 Historical link preserved from the original page.

2012: The NSW Court of Appeal considered a school's duty of care in the case of students with a known history of violence.

New South Wales student T had a propensity to violence.

He had approached another student and struck him on the head from behind.

His violence could be provoked by even a minor incident.

A second student was later assaulted by student T.

This second student sustained a serious injury resulting in brain damage.

The NSW Court of Appeal found that the class teacher knew that student T had been involved in an earlier fight, but she did not know that he had responded violently to a minor provocation.

The NSW Court of Appeal found that the class teachers should have been told that student T had a propensity to react violently to very little provocation.

The NSW Court of Appeal found that liability had been established.

The Website Editor comments: But what does the NSW Court of Appeal expect the teacher to do if they are told that a child has a propensity to react violently to very little provocation?

Hover around that one child all day, removing all small provocations?

What about the other twenty-five students in the classroom?

How can a teacher possibly function as a teacher in such difficult circumstances?

And what about the risk of the violent student attacking the teacher?

The problem is NOT that the teacher was not told that the child had a propensity to react violently to minor incidents, the problem is that a NSW teacher is expected to manage such an impossible situation.

And if the teacher had been told about the child's potential to respond violently to minor provocation, would that mean that the teacher could be held responsible if the child became violent?

This is an impossible working environment for NSW teachers.

Students with a propensity to violence: the importance of telling teachers, Andrew Knott, Tresscox Lawyers, p.23, Queensland Teachers' Journal, Volume 118 number 7, 4 October 2013 Historical link preserved from the original page.

Matthew McDermott, teacher, Temora, NSW, suicided after four girls made allegations.

In 1996, teacher Matthew McDermott, aged 28, hung himself from a peppercorn tree in the outskirts of Temora, NSW.

Six weeks earlier, he had been accused of indecently touching four girls during a game of touch rugby at the school where he was teaching.

His suicide had a big impact on his family and on the local community.

Many local people believed that Matthew had been the target of a naive vendetta.

Marie Ficarra, NSW Liberal MP, blamed the authorities. " The inaction of the Department of School Education possibly, if not probably, led to the tragic death of... Matthew McDermott, " she told parliament.

Matthew's sister, Pat McDermott, has just published 'Resurrection', a book about her brother's suicide.

Pat McDermott regrets her brother was assumed guilty until proven innocent.

Throwing the book at rampant rural suicide, Gina Rushton, P.8, The Weekend Australian, June 28-29, 2014. Historical link preserved from the original page.

Bargo Public School, NSW: male teacher threatened with scissors.

Police and paramedics were called to Bargo Public School, NSW, shortly before 11am on Thursday 29 August 2013, after reports of an assault.

An 11-year-old boy had allegedly threatened a male teacher with scissors and began throwing things at him, prompting a school-wide lockdown.

Officers have been told the boy allegedly threw items at the teacher, one object narrowly missing a student before it hit the teacher on the arm.

The male teacher sustained a minor graze but did not need medical treatment.

Student 'threatened teacher with scissors', Sydney Morning Herald, 29 August 2013: Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/student-threatened-teacher-with-scissors-20130829-2ssvo.html#ixzz2j22bBnPZ Historical link preserved from the original page.

New South Wales: a first year teacher's despair.

A young woman I know scored over 98 in the HSC and graduated with first-class Honours from a top university.

She is in her first year as a teacher at one of the most disadvantaged schools in New South Wales.

She arrived full of zeal, enthusiasm and commitment, and is being well-supported by her faculty.

But, according to her worried mother, she is spending three nights a week curled up in the fetal position sobbing inconsolably.

Her despair is a result of the psychological and emotional warfare being waged by some of her students, who are themselves battling such levels of disadvantage and neglect that society as a whole has washed its hands of them.

Her high ATAR and impressive academic record are of little help to her right now.

Hey politicians, leave those teachers alone, Jane Caro, The Drum, ABC News, 11 March 2013: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4565396.html Historical link preserved from the original page.

I was spending 90 per cent of my time on "classroom management". I lasted one term.

A few years back, I attempted a career change from lawyer to teacher.

I did well in my Dip Ed and got great feedback on pracs.

I was on a scholarship, so was appointed to a public high school in Western Sydney.

I lasted one term.

I really enjoyed the teaching and had some magic moments where I could see the kids' eyes light up when they understood a difficult concept.

What got me though was that I was spending 90 per cent of my time in class on "classroom management" (i.e. discipline).

The techniques that I learned at uni and through practical training were completely ineffective with these kids.