Physical violence from pupils affects a third of teachers

A teacher who was dangled off the sixth floor by a pupil's brother reflects on the issues involved, and the importance of parental engagement.

An ATL report published today reveals that a third of education staff have dealt with physical violence from pupils this school year, and most found that parents of the pupils involved failed to back the schools.

Most teachers surveyed believe the problem of poor behaviour is getting worse and count the lack of positive role models at home as one of the main reasons.

It's an interesting and challenging time to be teacher for children with behaviour difficulties.

When I say interesting what I mean is there has been a great deal of media coverage around young people, parenting and education following the UK riots and now this new survey by the ATL revealing a third of education staff have dealt with physical violence this year.

Historically these children - and their families have been marginalised/demonised/poked fun of in the media for drinking, swearing and often simply for being poor.

After the riots, however it stopped being as funny to laugh at people who like Reebok classics and McKenzie hooded tops.

 

There is nothing quite as frustrating, head bangingly predictable and utterly transparent about the blame game around the subject.

Boris Johnson blames teachers for reasons that seem to be a) not voting for him and b) having a summer holiday, while the Head of Schools blames the parents of ATTCWDTT for not being teachers and therefore not being his responsibility.

In my experience it is when people work to together for the common good of the young person that things get better. I say that, of course, not being a political figure desperate to support my own agenda.

I have been working with "hard to reach" children (that's shorthand for ATTCWDTT) one way or another for nearly 10 years and at the moment am a teacher in a special school for primary aged children with behaviour problems. A normal day can include anything from pupils trying to set fires to a debate around whether if a child throws a "warning punch" it should count as violence.

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A EB2/3 da Faixa de Gaza em Braga não está sózinha