Terry Polglase of The Australian Education Union: teachers suffer their whole life…

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Terry Polglase of The Australian Education Union: teachers suffer their whole life after being accused of 'assault'. Historical link preserved from the original page.

Three Tasmanian teachers, from three different schools, were each accused of assault during October 2012.

The Australian Education Union said most teachers accused of assault were cleared. Historical link preserved from the original page.

But many of them suffered their whole life after the allegations, AEU Tasmanian president Terry Polglase said.

It's really tragic. Teachers know not to lay a hand on kids but we are required to ensure everybody in that classroom is protected and that means we have to make the best judgments, " he said.

"These things are impromptu and you can't be trained for it.

It's not like you can put your head out the classroom door and call for help.

Mr Polglase said there were at least seven or eight cases a year in which Tasmanian teachers were accused.

He begged the community to realise the pressure teachers worked under each day.

Teachers in the main are not equipped to deal with confrontation with students who are hellbent on being defiant, physically aggressive and most often without warning, " he said.

Mr Polglase said there were legal defences such as self-defence, but these legal defences only protected a teacher from criminal charges, not from being dismissed by the Department of Education for breaching the "unrealistic" touching policy.

School battle over assault, Michelle Paine, The Mercury, 19 October 2012: http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/10/19/364138_tasmania-news.html Historical link preserved from the original page.

Tasmanian teacher: Trying to manage on relief teaching and then no pay during term and summer holidays is impossible.

One big issue in trying to make teaching a career, is the inability, at least in Tasmania, to get secure permanent employment.

Trying to manage doing relief teaching only and then of course no pay during term and summer holidays is impossible.

Of 300 graduates in 2001, only 30 got permanent employment!

No wonder no one stays long with teaching.