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Issue No. 185 | 04 July 2003 |
A Recipe for Conflict
Interview: As They Say In The Bible ... Industrial: Just Doing It Unions: Breaking Into the Boys Club Activists: Making the Hard Yards Bad Boss: In the Pooh Unions: National Focus Economics: Pop Will Eat Itself Technology: Dean for President International: Rangoon Rumble Education: Blackboard Jungle Review: From Weakness to Strength Poetry: Downsized
Aussie Workers Cradle-Snatched Morris McMahon Workers Say Thanks Violence: Emerson Fingers Abbott Coke Called on to Stop the Rot Bridgestone Drops Doughnut on Workers Maternity Breakthrough in Hotels Labour Rights: Even Bush is Better! Long Winter for Seasonal Workers
The Soapbox The Locker Room Postcard
Orange Peel After the Accident Cuba - the Debate Continues Old Ted Greetings from Japan
Labor Council of NSW |
News Teased Teachers Fight BackBy Carly Knowles
The dossier records another teacher being accused of humiliating a yawning student by yelling �I don�t want to watch you yawning, so next time, have a better breakfast and go to bed earlier.� Teacher's Federation secretary Barry Johnson, says such allegations are "ridiculous" and the Federation is concerned that the department spends such a lot of time investigating such trivial matters that real child abuse in the community may go undetected. "The definition of what constitutes child abuse is too broad." It was alleged one teacher "engaged in inappropriate contact" by poking a student in the back "causing him to feel some pain". The teacher was in fact intervening to prevent that student assaulting another. The dossier recorded another teacher telling a student: "If you hit me again, I will report you to the police for assault." That student told the Department of Education and Training the teacher was "intimidating" and should be charged with child abuse. Once an allegation has been made, even if it is unfounded, teachers are placed on a risk assessment scale and are monitored for a specified period. If teachers choose to leave the school, or the profession, they have marks against their names for the remainder of their working lives. "The process involving our members is both demeaning and stressful and many of the teachers against whom allegations are made have their careers destroyed," says Johnson. The concerns are not just disciplinary. A female teacher was unable to comfort a tearful primary child on a school excursion for fears claims would be made against her. The student woke during the night crying for home, but the teacher was afraid to be seen in her nightclothes comforting the boy. NSW Premier Bob Carr says teachers must be able to comfort children, restrain them from danger, or break up fights without fear of child abuse charges. "It is essential that commonsense prevails and that we get the balance right between the rights of teachers and child protection" Carr says. The Premier will get results of the legislative review next month.
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