Teachers angry as violent boy returns to class

'Teachers are exasperated. They just cannot get on with their work'. Declan Glynn TUI.

A 14-year-old student, who threatened a teacher with a hammer, was allowed return to his school after successfully appealing his expulsion, the recent TUI conference heard.

The boy in question, who attends a Munster school, has also stabbed a fellow pupil with a pen and been found in possession of knives on the school grounds.

His successful appeal has provoked outrage among teachers at the school.

One year ago, the school moved to expel the first-year student, but it has now had to reinstate him after an appeal by his parents under Section 29 of the Education Act.

The student is only permitted to attend morning classes. The school is also working on a behaviour management plan devised by a psychologist from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

On his return two weeks ago, the student was involved in a violent incident during which two female teachers were forced to intervene in a physical fight. Teachers of woodwork and metalwork in the school are now reluctant to teach the student on health and safety grounds.

Declan Glynn, assistant general secretary of the TUI, claims that there is a perception among schools that the Department of Education is operating a policy of reinstatement in all cases of exclusion, regardless of the circumstances.

"The Department of Education and Science directed the school to take this student back, despite the fact that he poses a clear health and safety risk to staff and pupils. This decision is underpinned by the fact that there is nowhere else to educate him, no high-level support unit to meet his profound needs.

"The Minister has said she is going to amend the appeal process. We would recommend a 'golden rule' - that reinstatement would not normally follow threats of violence or violence against teachers or other pupils. The right to learn of other students, and teachers' right to teach must be taken into consideration by appeal committees. Serving teachers should be represented on appeals committees.

Appeals should not succeed on technical or procedural grounds only; part of the reason appeals have succeeded up to now is that schools have been given no support in devising appropriate and watertight codes of behaviour." This particular student is not a unique case, says Glynn.

"This situation is symptomatic of the type of challenge that continually disruptive students are presenting for many schools on a daily basis throughout the system. My teachers are exasperated. They just cannot get on with their work. There is nothing higher on their agenda than getting support in this area. Pay is a remote second."

A recent TUI survey found that one in five teachers were threatened or intimidated by students and most had their classes seriously disrupted during one week in Irish schools earlier this year.

The survey of over 1,000 teachers revealed a disturbing level of violence, bullying and disruption.

Some 21 per cent of teachers witnessed physical violence by students on a fellow pupil during the week in question.

In March, the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, published the report of the Task Force on Discipline which she had commissioned to examine the issue.

The Minister is moving to implement the main recommendations of the report. These include the establishment of behavioural support teams in about 50 schools on a pilot basis, beginning next September.

The Minister has also pledged to amend Section 29 of the Education Act. The intention is to ensure that the rights of the entire school community are protected. Teaching unions hope the planned changes will make it easier to expel seriously disruptive pupils.