Violent behaviour isn't new …

Violence directed at teachers is not a new thing. Anyone dealing with teenage boys has had to deal with aggression. How we respond afterwards is different now though.

A family group hug? Tears will flow from suitably embarrassed parents who will no doubt be entitled to ACC compensation or WINZ support or perhaps a New Year’s Honour. The teenage boy will stare sullenly, grunt occasionally and fold his arms. He’ll not try to share his feelings.

The teacher will accept all blame, because that’s what teachers are trained to do. It’s what the TRB, The Ministry, ERO and all the other acrimonious acronyms expect of teachers.

The violent behaviour isn’t new. Not so long ago we had Special Education to deal with unruly behaviour. We had borstals for the worst but we had psychologists and special ed centres for the not so bad ones.

And then we had mainstreaming which is fine for the kids for whom mainstreaming was good but not for all of them. The psycho-socio-paths – no, they shouldn’t be mainstreamed.
Cutting special education was necessary – the money was needed to pay for the glossy pamphlets and TV campaigns that promoted National Standards and NCEA.

Don’t interrupt me. I’m ranting.

I read recently that teaching is as stressful as surgery and air traffic control squished together. Teachers are expected to be star performers, entertaining up to 45 kids at a time, individually because as every good teacher knows children have unique entertainment styles.

Some prefer stand up comedy, some prefer slapstick, some prefer music and some prefer to run around in an excited manner. Others prefer electronic media and a small few prefer books. Some like sculpture and some like to dress up as super heroes. And some prefer the magical medium of dance.

And for the cherry on top, let’s increase the school leaving age so that the lads who’d rather be driving tractors have to stay at school and learn Shakespeare. That won’t annoy them so much that they have to hit something or someone will it.

The stabbers and the punchers and the swearers just all need to be loved more. The teachers should be paid less not more. The violence in schools is all their fault. It’s because their lessons aren’t entertaining enough. The children just need more love and entertainment.

Rant over.

If this ugly trend continues we might see all the teachers waving goodbye at International Departures. If they all go to teach in China or Singapore or Ladakh who will entertain NZ children?

— Peter Giddens