School staff in shock after teacher injured in row with pupil

SCHOOL staff were still in shock yesterday after an English teacher’s nose and teeth were broken in a heated row with a pupil over a mobile phone.

Teacher Chris Gavin was badly injured in the incident, which involved a Leaving Certificate pupil at Deansrath Community College in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

The 17-year-old boy has been suspended pending an investigation being led by the school’s principal, Maria Shannon.

“There was a serious incident and we are dealing with it under our code of behaviour,” Ms Shannon said last night.

The row broke out last Friday during class.

It was reported the pupil attempted to take pictures with his mobile phone, and refused to stop or hand over the phone when requested to do so by Mr Gavin.

Ms Shannon confirmed Mr Gavin’s injuries, adding: “At the moment he’s on sick leave. During my long career as a teacher this has never happened before. At present the child is on suspension.”

She refused to say whether the pupil was also hurt.

A source last night claimed the boy’s mother insists her child be reinstated at the school. The mother has requested any CCTV footage of the incident.

Ms Shannon said it was between herself and the boy’s mother whether the boy returned to the school.

Deansrath Community College has 400 secondary pupils as well as 200 adults involved in education.

Mr Gavin is reportedly popular among pupils and is believed to have worked at the school for five years.

He is also a musician and has performed on RTÉ radio.

Deansrath Community College’s board of management is set to meet about the row and decide whether the suspended pupil should face further punishment.

Ms Shannon said it was “an internal issue” whether parents of pupils would be contacted about the matter.

A garda spokesperson said no complaint had been received about the incident.

Yesterday, teacher representatives pointed to continued concern about violence in schools, demanding that Education Minister Mary Hanafin, herself a teacher, take action.

“We want courses on confronting conflict, de-escalating situations and coping with issues like physical restraint,” stressed the Teachers’ Union of Ireland’s Declan Glynn.

A union survey last year found 21% of teachers encountered intimidation or threatening behaviour over just one week.