Teachers ‘should not have to face pupils who attack them’
Wednesday 26th May 2010, 2:56PM BST.
Education director Mario Lundy (right) with head teachers Carl Howarth (JCG) and Robert Cook (Victoria College), who were among those who gave evidence to the Scrutiny panel in January Picture: TONY PIKE (00880566)
TEACHERS assaulted by pupils should not have to face their attackers again in class until the issue has been fully resolved.
That is one of many recommendations made in a review of school suspension policy carried out by an Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny sub-panel.
Chaired by Deputy Trevor Pitman, with Constable Graeme Butcher and Deputies Montfort Tadier and Jeremy Maçon, the sub-panel also recommend that standardised training on proposed new suspension policy guidelines should be given to head teachers and all frontline staff and teaching assistants.
In their view, this would make them fully aware of the regulations and how they should be applied and ensure policy was consistent in all schools.
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I just cannot believe how the world has changed. When I was a lad, you respected your teachers and elders.
Now because there is no physical punishment, so called students try and get away with anything, often just to be noticed by their peers.
I once received six of the best from Tommy Garnier, for playing truant. And if anyone cheeked Bro. Thomas at The Beeches, woe betide them.
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I vividly remember an occasion in primary school circa 1955. A class-mate aged 10 or so said to the teacher (a lady well into her fifties) “I’m going to fight you”. Teacher replied, “Oh no you’re not”, bent him over her desk and smacked his bottom. It probably didn’t hurt but he felt such an idiot he quietly returned to his place in class. I don’t think it proved to be too traumatic as he later became a happily married family man and successful academic.
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G – your nuts
Because there is no physical punishment children are running wild? Thats mental. Children should know that they are behaving badly and that knowledge should be passed down to them from their parents.
Me and my brothers were raised well by a single mum. We all did well in school and although life was not easy with no money at all, our mother taught us to be respectful, study and work hard to achieve the goals we set ourselves.
Obviously your punishment left you scared mentally as you suggested corporal punishment as a slap-dash resolution to a much bigger problem.
I agree with the teachers but it must be noted teachers are also mental and physical bullies who can, through their own actions force a violent or anti-social reaction
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There is a vast difference between fear and respect. Respect is not given to those who would earn it by oppression and violence. So would you really argue that our children be exposed to fear and violence in order to get them to behave?
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When I was at school most of the teachers were the legalised bullies.
Some were absolutely terrifying if you put a step wrong.
I got wrapped on the knuckles that many times for minor misdeeds like blotting exercise book or not paying attention.
Most of us got the same punishment.
How times have changed.
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I assume Kage (3) didn’t mean that ALL teachers are mental and physical bullies!!
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Oh, how it is so easy to be a blame society. In the current climate it appears that it is so easy to blame the teachers for anything.
“teachers are also mental and physical bullies who can, through their own actions force a violent or anti-social reaction”………..what the? Whatever happened to teachers being inspirational and positive role models? As a teacher I find this VERY worrying. I look around the staff room and, yes, we are all different characters, who have different ways of dealing with situations and students but I would not describe any of us as “mental and physical bullies”…….when was the last time you went into a school. I am speechless!
I have been assaulted at work, not due to my being “absolutely terrifying”, “mental” or “physical”, but due to the fact I was in the wrong place at the wrong time when a student had lost their way and was hitting out. I was left bruised and shaky. This was 3 years ago and I now happily teach the student who did this to me, but this is mainly due to my forgiveness and a meaningful apology. But why should I have been put through this in the first place? How many other jobs have situations like this to face?
Am getting to the point where I have had just about enough of people on the outside who are unwilling to empathise and just make assumptions about people who just happen to share a vocation. Enough!
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Pots, kettles, black?
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Now now everybody, calm down, I didnt say that ALL teachers are bullies now did I. I was simply pointing out the fact that teachers CAN be mental and physical bullies which might keep a lot of students in line but will also force others to react badly.
Dont get me wrong, some of my teachers were the nicest people in the world and I hope they are still teaching today but we were also subject to bullying by others who used intimidation as a tool which, if you ask me, will never work.
Statistics like how many teachers are feeling great stress, how many use fear to control students, how many shout regularly or single out naughty students in front of their peers would be good to see in comparison to this report of students becoming violent or disruptive in class.
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3 and 9 Kage – People can hardly be criticised for reacting to what you actually said, rather than what you meant to say.
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As I have said before and will say again – our youth are becoming the untouchables, a lot of ordinary folk along with teachers fear the minority of these children whom the minority have no manners and behave like animals. Sorry to all those who do behave like society wishes you to, but the majority only remember the bad things and the trouble the minority do.
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Dee
There are once again a lot people who have no experience of being a teacher in the modern educational world.
I have done so, and am no longer a teacher. There is a vast difference between teachers commanding respect and teachers being bullies.
I totally agree that there may well have been many working teachers in the past who were vindictive in their application of corporal punishment. However, many teachers were also misplaced and lost ex servicemen who didn’t know what else to do with their lives after serving.
I think that there must be a middle ground found and that ultimately parents are to be held responsible for the actions of their children. I also believe that just because an incident happens inside a school building it does not diminish its effects and as such incidents such as assaults should be dealt with by the Police.
Teachers are employed to impart knowledge and teach children to learn. Not to fend off violence and verbal assualts.
I believe strongly that whilst every child has the right to an education NO child has the right to hinder the education of others.
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12 Dee – Excellent post!
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