Haz.
Regular Member
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/09/19/173831_tasmania-news.html
Student violence work hazard DAVID KILLICK | September 19, 2010 12.01am
TEACHERS in the state's public schools are daily being spat on, sworn at, threatened and bashed, the main teacher's union says.
The revelations come as a Bridgewater High School teacher was bashed so badly by a student, he had to take two days off work.
The assault is just the latest in a long series of violent incidents at the school and is being investigated by police.
The Australian Education Union has warned the rising tide of aggression against staff in the state's public schools has become so bad that unruly students are being declared workplace hazards in order to get action from the Education Department.
Although the department does not keep statistics of violence in schools, the union says some are reporting high level violence on a weekly basis.
"There are not many occupations where being spat on, sworn at, threatened and physically assaulted are an everyday occurrence, yet in some schools this is the working life of many teachers and teacher aides," the union stated in a submission to a parliamentary committee this week.
Union research officer Jeff Garsed presented a submission to the Legislative Council committee on violence in the community, saying traditional approaches of dealing with violent behaviour were failing and teachers increasingly had to invoke workplace safety laws.
"The violent student in this instance is seen under workplace health and safety as a hazard," he said.
"When a violent incident occurs, a risk management plan is put into place. Schools only resort to this approach when all else has been done to modify student behaviours.
"Recommendations of risk management plans usually require additional resources for schools to manage the hazard. In this way, the AEU and its members have been able to pressure the Department of Education to provide the resources necessary to manage violent students."
Education Department regional manager Bob Phillips said the Bridgewater student was expelled.
"The student has since been excluded from school and is completing his Year 10 externally via a range of alternative programs which will enable him to transition to Year 11 next year," he said.
"While we want the best outcomes for this student, we also want to send the message that behaviour such as this is totally unacceptable in a school environment.
"The student's parent is very supportive of this course of action."
Education Minister Lin Thorp said the Government took violence in schools extremely seriously
The department had ways of supporting schools and teachers, including guidelines agreed to by the AEU, she said.
Liberal education spokesman Michael Ferguson said the Education Department needed to involve police in cases of violence to ensure the safety of staff and students.
Student violence work hazard DAVID KILLICK | September 19, 2010 12.01am
TEACHERS in the state's public schools are daily being spat on, sworn at, threatened and bashed, the main teacher's union says.
The revelations come as a Bridgewater High School teacher was bashed so badly by a student, he had to take two days off work.
The assault is just the latest in a long series of violent incidents at the school and is being investigated by police.
The Australian Education Union has warned the rising tide of aggression against staff in the state's public schools has become so bad that unruly students are being declared workplace hazards in order to get action from the Education Department.
Although the department does not keep statistics of violence in schools, the union says some are reporting high level violence on a weekly basis.
"There are not many occupations where being spat on, sworn at, threatened and physically assaulted are an everyday occurrence, yet in some schools this is the working life of many teachers and teacher aides," the union stated in a submission to a parliamentary committee this week.
Union research officer Jeff Garsed presented a submission to the Legislative Council committee on violence in the community, saying traditional approaches of dealing with violent behaviour were failing and teachers increasingly had to invoke workplace safety laws.
"The violent student in this instance is seen under workplace health and safety as a hazard," he said.
"When a violent incident occurs, a risk management plan is put into place. Schools only resort to this approach when all else has been done to modify student behaviours.
"Recommendations of risk management plans usually require additional resources for schools to manage the hazard. In this way, the AEU and its members have been able to pressure the Department of Education to provide the resources necessary to manage violent students."
Education Department regional manager Bob Phillips said the Bridgewater student was expelled.
"The student has since been excluded from school and is completing his Year 10 externally via a range of alternative programs which will enable him to transition to Year 11 next year," he said.
"While we want the best outcomes for this student, we also want to send the message that behaviour such as this is totally unacceptable in a school environment.
"The student's parent is very supportive of this course of action."
Education Minister Lin Thorp said the Government took violence in schools extremely seriously
The department had ways of supporting schools and teachers, including guidelines agreed to by the AEU, she said.
Liberal education spokesman Michael Ferguson said the Education Department needed to involve police in cases of violence to ensure the safety of staff and students.
