ABC Online reports that there have been more than 800 assaults on teachers in the Northern Territory in the last three years. According to new Education Department figures, over 500 of these attacks were physical. Worryingly, these figures may even be understating the reality, with teachers reluctant to report incidents. A teachers' union member told the ABC that many of his colleagues have been attacked with weapons, kicked, punched and bitten. Some of the children attacking are as young as eight or nine years old. According to the teacher representative, on one occasion when support came through for a child who had bullied a teacher, the community turned on the teacher.
Disabled students ‘shunned’ at Perth high school
The West Australian reports that students with disabilities at Duncraig Secondary Education Centre are not being given equal access to facilities, which the Centre shares with Duncraig Senior High School. Chairwoman of the Centre Sharyn Snowball said that her students were kept in portable classrooms at the corner of the site. One of the students who is fed through a stomach tube had to take meals in the support Centre's toilet because of lack of space and privacy elsewhere. Students are not even permitted the use of the oval during lunchtime. Ms Snowball believes the Centre's students are treated like second-class citizens.
Female school staffer arrested at top private school Concordia College
The Advertiser reports that SA Police has arrested and charged a former female school staffer at a leading independent school in Adelaide. The woman is charged with grooming a child for sex. The Principal of Concordia College, Lester Saegenschnitter said that the ex-employee reportedly communicated with the 'intention of making a child amenable to sexual activity.' The incident occurred while she was still an employee. A spokesman for SA Police said that she was arrested last month and bailed to appear in court last Monday. That same day the College's Principal sent a letter to parents apprising them of the matter.
Boy dies after falling down stairs at Wodonga school
News.com.au reports that a five-year-old boy has fallen down a set of stairs at a Victorian school. The boy fell down the external steps of Wodonga South Primary School at about 4.30pm last Tuesday. He was taken to Albury Base Hospital in NSW but died shortly after from head injuries. Police believed the death was not suspicious but is continuing to investigate. The Principal promised to provide support for anyone who needed it, terming the incident as a 'tragic accident'.
Islamic School of Canberra must meet strict conditions in exchange for reinstated federal funding
ABC Online reports that the Islamic School of Canberra will now be required to meet strict conditions set by the Government after their federal funding was reinstated. This comes after a review into six school authorities affiliated with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils by the Federal Government last year. There were questions about whether the group was profiting due to its taxation provisions. The school has promised to bring in consultants and provide monthly reports after the funding was withdrawn in February.
Catholic Church aware of priest's offences against children: Royal Commission
Sydney Morning Herald reports that Priest, John Joseph Farrell was moved around in parishes in NSW for almost a decade before being suspended. Senior members of the Catholic Church first became aware that he had molested children in 1984. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is holding a public hearing into his crimes; he was jailed for a minimum of 18 years earlier this year for multiple child abuse convictions.
INTERNATIONAL
Workload means school nurses could be missing abuse, Children's Commissioner warns
TES reports that the Children's Commissioner for England is concerned that abuse or neglect could be going unnoticed. In her comments, she explains that school nurses are spending so much time on paperwork that they could be missing the signs of abuse. School nurses now have a heavy caseload reducing the time they are spending with children. Many nurses are responsible for the health and wellbeing of thousands of children, with many looking after more than five schools each. Almost a quarter of surveyed nurses said they found it difficult to contact social services when they had concerns about children.
When a Bully Targets Your Child
The Wall Street Journal reports that bullying starts very early, and peaks in early high school. Around 20 percent of students report being bullied each year. Parents who either threaten to call the bully's parents or those who dismiss it as part of growing up – are not necessarily taking the right approach. New strategies involve developing a range of skills for what is a multifarious problem. Coping skills are of key importance, as well as allowing children to tell adults when they're bullied so that parents and teachers can negotiate the best plan together.
Former principal censured for school credit card spend
Stuff reports that a Waikato principal has expressed her guilt and regret for misusing her school credit card. The principal, who has now left her job at Mercer School, used her school credit card on purchases at petrol stations and McDonald's. In total, she spent nearly $400 NZD. Ms Hill said she intended to pay the money back. The New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found that her conduct was serious.
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