TEACHERS UNDER THE PUMP

Teachers in our classrooms are increasingly on the receiving end of conduct that is totally inappropriate from, it would seem, an increasing number of students. That may not of been confirmed by any formal tertiary study; however reports that are prepared by systems indicate a trend toward disrespectful and often physical behaviour by students toward teachers and those who are ministering to their needs in our schools.

Newspaper reports are often based on anecdote; however what is written needs to be taken into account and deserves a more active response that often given.

Without the shadow of a doubt teachers are well and truly under the pump and a more and more at the mercy of students who prefer to be antagonistic and disinclined toward learning rather than taking advantage of what’s offered in what should be a teaching learning

environment.

It galls me greatly to hear and to read of teachers who have objects thrown at them, who are hit, punched, pushed and hassled and who have to spend more more of their time trying to control unruly behaviour when they’re supposed to be getting on with the job of teaching.

What also galls me is the way in which education departments tend to go “softly softly“ on these issues. dept Of Education and education ministers need to grasp the natural on this one and come out on the side of teachers in a far more proactive manner and seems to be the case. Departments tend to “minimise” the issue and this often information that these incidents don’t happen very often.

Not true! They are happening more and more frequently, With greater and greater impact upon those subject to student behaviour, That is anti-classroom anti-learning and downright anti-social.

I take my hat off to our teachers unions who strive very hard indeed to raise the subject and to maintain it at the level of importance it deserves. I deplore departments of education who like to more or less pretend that these things are not going on, or if they are that incidents are minimal and isolated.

They are not minimal and they are not isolated! The number of teachers taking medical and stress leave (again anecdotal from a recording viewpoint) is proof positive that this blog is not me talking out the back of my hat.

Wake up government, wake up Dept Of Education and work on fixing this problem. Ignore it and watch what was a mole hill and is now a substantial hill turn into an absolute mountain.