AUSTRALIA

Teacher who tells murder and incest stories to kids loses unfair dismissal

The Age reported about a Melbourne teacher who was accused of telling his Year 4 students inappropriate stories, losing his unfair dismissal case.  The teacher told inappropriate stories about violence, murder, urination, defection, incest and suicide. The teacher was sacked in January after the Education Department found that he acted in a disgraceful and improper manner.  The Fair Work Commission said the termination was valid and he had admitted to conduct that was "not trivial or unimportant."

Teacher sacked, then reinstated, after confrontation with teenage students over smoking

The Courier Mail reported about a video emerging of a teacher, who was later sacked, being repeatedly punched in the head by a former school student.  Last month, the South Australian Teacher’s Appeal Board ordered that the teacher be allowed to return to work and also criticised the Department of Education’s decision to dismiss the teacher in the first place.

Australia’s teacher fail: Half quit the classroom in five years

According to News.com.au, a study conducted by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health showed that teachers are struggling with the workload and time management, with more than 60 per cent finding a work-life balance does not exist.  With almost half of teachers moving away from the profession something needs to be done.

Perth father loses legal battle to remove 'God' from daughter's school creed

WA Today reported about a Perth father who has lost his legal battle to remove the word ‘God’ from a school creed.  The Father went to Equal Opportunity Commission in March 2016 alleging discrimination against the director general of the Department of Education, claiming his family, including his six-year-old daughter, were atheists and the religious reference was an act of discrimination against his child.  The case was dropped as the Equal Opportunity Commission directed the father to the State Administrative Tribunal.

Schools to get new online tools to track literacy and numeracy levels

The Age reported about Victorian school principals being given online tracking technology to monitor and help literacy and numeracy performance and compare it with that of other schools.  The program is being initiated to help teachers and schools to understand what they need to do to intervene.

INTERNATIONAL

USA: School principal offers students $100 to stay off phones

According to CNET, a Washington government school principal challenged her seventh and eighth grade students to stay off the phones by giving them $100.   The principal reported that students must stay off their phones for one whole day if they wish to receive the monetary reward.  This has raised concerns that children are being bribed.

USA: Teacher suspended after Trump references were removed from a yearbook

CTV News reported about a teacher who has been suspended after yearbook photos of two high school students were altered to remove President Donald Trump’s name on their clothing.  The teacher has been suspended as investigations are underway. One student wore a vest with Trump's name on it, while another student wore a T-shirt with the slogan "Trump Make America Great Again." However, neither feature appeared in the photos published in the yearbook.

UK: School closed due to 'suspicious activity' issues letter of explanation to reassure parents

The Coventry Telegraph reported about a school being closed due to suspicious activity that was that occurred on its grounds.   A van entered the car park around 8 am. The men in the vehicle were approached by staff and would not explain why they were parked in the car park.  The men in the van immediately left and police were informed.

UK: School on lockdown after pupil ‘threatened to stab girl who wouldn’t sext him’

Nine News reported about a Welsh school that was placed into lockdown after a boy allegedly threatened to stab another pupil because she wouldn’t send him sexually explicit messages via a social media app.  The 15-year-old school boy allegedly threatened a female pupil the evening before, leaving terrified parents waiting outside to collect their children.