Teachers suffer rise in stress over class threats

ALMOST half of secondary school teachers suffer regular stress because of misbehaving students, a survey has revealed.

Some teachers are forced to take sick leave because of threats made to them when they reprimand disruptive students.

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the increasing incidence of extreme behavioural problems in the classroom was a health and safety concern for its members.

ASTI general secretary Charlie Lennon said it was also interfering with the delivery of education to young people.

“The reasons for the growth in behavioural problems in schools are varied and complex and include changes in society and social problems, excessive part-time work schedules, the rise of alcohol and drug misuse among young people and changing attitudes towards authority,” he said.

Preliminary results from a survey by the Work Research Centre in Dublin show that 86% of teachers cite inadequate discipline as a cause of moderate to high stress. It found that 46% experienced this kind of stress either frequently or always in their school.

“We must protect the right of students to learn and teachers to teach in an environment free from abusive, bullying and persistently negative behaviour. Behaviour which seriously violates the school learning environment or jeopardises the wellbeing or physical safety of pupils or teachers is unacceptable,” said Mr Lennon.

The union has evidence of a number of very serious cases, including a Leaving Certificate student in the Midlands who made the shape of a gun with his hand. He made the sound of a gunshot and said to the female teacher who was asking about his homework: “That’s what you need.”

A student in the South-West told a woman teacher: “If I had my way, it’s a bullet in the head you’d get.” Another woman teacher was told by a female student told her: “I know where you live, I’ll get you later.” An ASTI spokeswoman said teachers were very often disappointed with the response of school boards.

“We want definite procedures to be drawn up for critical incidents, which are often kept very low-key by management. The response is sometimes not satisfactory as far as the victim is concerned and can affect staff morale,” she said.

The issue of student discipline will be a subject of debate at the ASTI annual convention in Limerick next week. The union has already drafted a National Action Plan on Promoting Student Behaviour, which they hope Education Minister Noel Dempsey will adopt.

The plan suggests greater interaction between home and school, a review of Department of Education guidelines on dealing with behaviour problems and training for principals and teachers.