In Wauchope (NSW), Melbourne, and Daylesford (VIC), there has been a range of child abduction incidents involving children under school care. The Melbourne incident occurred whilst children were on an excursion visiting the Sea Life Aquarium in Melbourne, and the other two incidents occurred on school grounds. The schools in question are reviewing their policies, and police are continuing their investigations.
The West Australian reports that a WA science teacher has been sacked following an explosion during a class in which two students were severely injured. The teacher in question has been ‘blacklisted’, and will no longer be able to work as a science teacher in WA. The students are recovering from their injuries.
A school in the ACT has been shut down for five days following an incident in which a teacher was injured by an electrical fault, according to a report in the Canberra Times. The electrical incident was the second in recent times. Students were sent to a neighbouring school whilst the fault was investigated.
An aggrieved parent in Doncaster East, VIC, has taken to handing out letters to parents, Facebook, and the School Council to protest the school’s policy on photographing students. The Herald Sun reports that the policy allows parents to only take photos of their own children, and prohibits images from being uploaded to the internet by anyone other than a person authorised by the school. Reactions in the school community have been mixed.
A Queensland independent school has suspended 27 students following a Rugby tour to South Africa where students broke bounds to have a night out at a local bar. According to The Chronicle, one student was detained by police, but released. Upon returning, the student served a term of community service, and the remaining students are now back in class.
Across the ditch, the New Zealand Herald reports that a school has been temporarily shut by its governing board because of asbestos on school grounds. Worksafe NZ carried out investigations, and the decision to close was done as a precaution.
A private school in the UK has decreed that it will schedule classes for teenagers after 1:30pm in order to allow students to sleep in. The Telegraph reports that the decision comes in response to research on the sleeping patterns of teenagers. The school is the first to have an afternoon starting time, following other schools who have introduced mid-morning starts.
In the UK, a head teacher has been accused of overreacting in banning fish from her school because of one student who is allergic. The Daily Mail reports the teacher as saying 'she has had severe reactions, not just to the smell of cooking fish, but also when her mother touched her after eating a tuna sandwich'. Community reactions to the ban have been mixed.
A teacher in the US has been fired for attempting to break up a fight with a broom, according to the Detriot Free Press. The 15 and 16 year old students were both subsequently suspended. Sympathetic community members are making efforts to have the teacher reinstated.
Also in the US, one school is facing controversy because of its decision to allow a transgender student to use the female bathroom. Reports in USA Today state that the school’s extensive non-discrimination policy does not currently cover gender identity. Issues are being raised about the need to balance the student’s needs with the concerns of the community.