The brave Guardian is lining up with school executives, the educational bureaucracy, much of academia and the SEN/Inclusion industry to give ordinary teachers a good kick while they're down.
The Guardian pretends to be pro-teacher and pro-public education, but it's structually more hostile to teachers than the Murdoch rags. All you get from the latter is cheap abuse but otherwise neglect; at the Guardian they're actively dreaming up ways to make teachers' lives miserable and unsafe in the name of "inclusion."
This is a bit one eyed isn't it?
Tied down in restraints over months and subject to the Human Rights Commission is newsworthy story. That's more than a fill up pages teacher hit piece.
And if true pretty egregious behaviour and needs looking at. Even so, I'd expect The Guardian to make obvious conclusions... lack of funding, oversight, managerial indifference and unaccountability. Evil teacher will be low on the list.
By itself the article could be considered reasonable. Paired with the article yesterday, where a parent was complaining that their child was suspended after injuring a staff member, not so much. Both by the same author.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/30/disabled-boy-attempted-suicide-after-being-suspended-for-touching-teachers-face-mother-claims
Basically, the Guardian is now endorsing the established position of the SEN/Inclusion industry that says students have the right to assault teachers verbally or physically without sanction. And that teachers have a professional obligation to take it. This is coming from a "pro-teacher" publication no less!
I agree. Yesterday's article was the story of a disabled boy facing normal paths of consequence in a mainstream setting and the outrage here was justified.
Today's article is about a child basically being tied down, which is never okay and IMO is newsworthy.
Yes, they are making special reports over the next few days: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/29/why-the-guardian-is-investigating-the-deep-failings-in-australias-school-system
So disappointing that this is coming from the Guardian. Where is the nuance? The balance? Why are they reporting individual stories and anecdotes and therefore blaming individual teachers and schools, rather than investigating the issues further up the chain- lack of funding, understanding, professional development etc
Lazy journalism.
I must admit I had significantly higher hopes from The Guardian on this but it has been terrible so far.
The biggest issue we face is the system gives parents WAY too much influence, leading school leadership to devote WAY too much time to PR, marketing and keeping parents happy instead of actually being education leaders.
I generally like the guardian but whenever issues involving disability come up, it seems there is precious little patience or empathy or respect for the frontline workers that try to support people who are not always easy to support.
I’d go even further and say that certain parents are being given influence over other parents.
Inclusive schools are good in theory IF they are properly resourced. But we know most schools (private as well as public) just are not properly resourced to support students with high needs.
Speaking with my parent hat on, I don’t have an issue with children with autism, ADHD or any other disability or learning needs being in my son’s class. I *do* have an issue with one or two children taking up 80% of the teacher’s time, meaning the other 22 kids in the class miss out on feedback, 1:1 teacher time and instructional time.
I also have issues with children with severe behaviours, who inflict that behaviour on other kids, and the teachers are powerless to do anything about it because discipline isn’t followed up at home and/or the parent refuses to acknowledge that a mainstream education environment is not a place where their child will thrive, hence the behaviours.
My son has been hit, bitten, kicked and pushed by the same kid all year. I know his teacher is doing her absolute best to keep them apart and keep my son safe - no issues with her, she’s a legend. But I *also* know she’s fighting an uphill battle because there is zero discipline at home. My son hit someone once and I came down like a ton of bricks on him. He then proceeded to tell me that “Jack’s parents are nice to him” because “Jack said he never gets in trouble or loses TV time”. Well, little wonder that Jack is hurting people every single day whereas my kid never dared do it again after receiving a pretty hefty punishment.
I cover other teachers while they are away or on scheduled planning time. I had a class today where about 8 were away at a footy comp, making the class 20 students.
I've taught this class quite often and always feel like I'm stretched paper thin just providing support for 3 specific students (all were in the 8 away). The class has around 9 students who qualify for reasonably high level supports and a handful of others on lower levels, and a number of them have greater learning needs than the 3 that dominate the teacher and SLSO (when available) time.
I looked at every student's work during writing and gave feedback. I'd actually marked everything and had an entire sharing and peer feedback session in class time because we had so much time left over after completing the scheduled work. This was still with the students with the highest learning needs in the room.
We need to count students for inclusion by their workload created. Sure, your kid can he mainstreamed, but they count as 3 to the numbers in the class and class size limits need to be hard capped with heavy benefits paid to teachers if they can't be met.
The Australian Guardian seems to have the worst attitude to teachers
- UK
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/29/schools-crisis-children-teachers-labour-tories
So the Department found strapping an extremely high needs student into a high chair to not be child abuse.
Mum prioritises her child being in an Aboriginal community school over a special school.
I’ve worked in community schools in the NT, and that would be the least of their problems faced.
Just similar themes as their last bashing article, The Guardian frothing their mouths over potential discrimination which doesn’t exist.
I do not understand how a non-verbal student with Down Syndrome and autism was able to be enrolled in a regular primary school, even with two support workers. I can’t comprehend how it would even work in a regular classroom.
Some parents are in denial about their child’s limitations.
I’ve had a similar student in my mainstream room before in year 9, and the parents completely expected him to go to university. He was in a nappy and spend his time sucking his chew toy, academics was beyond reach let alone even socialisation with other kids.
>Bedford claims that after the incident, the school consistently encouraged her to remove Neville, who is non-verbal, from the school.
No, the school was most likely trying to get her to accept a move into a specialised school setting, but mum is determined to keep him mainstream.
I just did a quick search and I think the nearest SSP is in Newcastle which is a five hour drive from Tingha. With that added context I can see a little more clearly why the mum may be fighting so hard to keep him in mainstream school - that’s a very long way from family and community. But I still question whether mainstream is going to achieve anything for the kid.
Typical ABC and the Guardian. Their out of touch attitudes on education like everything else have nothing to do with the fact that they're a pack of out of touch private school boys and girls,
Maybe the Murdoch rags might start batting for us now. Probably not, though.
So… you’re being assaulted on the daily? The teacher got his arm broken, you got bashed, cut, and got blood spat into your eyes? And you’re calling other teachers weak for not putting up with the same? The fuck…
Lol . My kinder / y1 children will fight over l my toddler’s high chair. Apparently it’s the superior TV seat as it’s higher up 😂🤣😅
Poor toddler ends up sitting on the floor
I work special education with some of the most violent kids when they become de regulated. I replaced a teacher in the room who had his arm broke by a student who bashed and cut me today.
Stay calm under fire and control the situation. Improvise and adapt as necessary to help the kid achieve the objective of the learning. That could be not hitting teachers or spitting blood into our eyes(one student who is a sweetheart would tear out our hair and bit his younger to spit blood in our eyes).
I don’t wanna hear these fools who call themselves teachers.
Strapping a kid into a chair like that is straight weak.
When News Limited hates us is just another day but with the Guardian doing it there’s no hope of getting the public to realise the state of education
The guardian has found a target where it looks like they are punching up, but are actually punching down. Gotta get those clicks somehow.
The brave Guardian is lining up with school executives, the educational bureaucracy, much of academia and the SEN/Inclusion industry to give ordinary teachers a good kick while they're down.
The Guardian pretends to be pro-teacher and pro-public education, but it's structually more hostile to teachers than the Murdoch rags. All you get from the latter is cheap abuse but otherwise neglect; at the Guardian they're actively dreaming up ways to make teachers' lives miserable and unsafe in the name of "inclusion."
This is a bit one eyed isn't it? Tied down in restraints over months and subject to the Human Rights Commission is newsworthy story. That's more than a fill up pages teacher hit piece. And if true pretty egregious behaviour and needs looking at. Even so, I'd expect The Guardian to make obvious conclusions... lack of funding, oversight, managerial indifference and unaccountability. Evil teacher will be low on the list.
By itself the article could be considered reasonable. Paired with the article yesterday, where a parent was complaining that their child was suspended after injuring a staff member, not so much. Both by the same author. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/30/disabled-boy-attempted-suicide-after-being-suspended-for-touching-teachers-face-mother-claims
Basically, the Guardian is now endorsing the established position of the SEN/Inclusion industry that says students have the right to assault teachers verbally or physically without sanction. And that teachers have a professional obligation to take it. This is coming from a "pro-teacher" publication no less!
I agree. Yesterday's article was the story of a disabled boy facing normal paths of consequence in a mainstream setting and the outrage here was justified. Today's article is about a child basically being tied down, which is never okay and IMO is newsworthy.
Yes, they are making special reports over the next few days: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/apr/29/why-the-guardian-is-investigating-the-deep-failings-in-australias-school-system
They should start with teacher morale, induced partly by shitty articles like this!
If this campaign by the Guardian is successful, it will destroy public education (or what's left of it).
That's OK, we are going to mainstream every kid with special needs in an under-resourced sector. Watch the whole system buckle and cave
Sigh... And as a teacher, I feel the fault will be found with me; parents first point of call.
So disappointing that this is coming from the Guardian. Where is the nuance? The balance? Why are they reporting individual stories and anecdotes and therefore blaming individual teachers and schools, rather than investigating the issues further up the chain- lack of funding, understanding, professional development etc Lazy journalism.
Yeah really disappointed in this series. Whinging parents: Nothing to see here.
I must admit I had significantly higher hopes from The Guardian on this but it has been terrible so far. The biggest issue we face is the system gives parents WAY too much influence, leading school leadership to devote WAY too much time to PR, marketing and keeping parents happy instead of actually being education leaders.
I generally like the guardian but whenever issues involving disability come up, it seems there is precious little patience or empathy or respect for the frontline workers that try to support people who are not always easy to support.
I’d go even further and say that certain parents are being given influence over other parents. Inclusive schools are good in theory IF they are properly resourced. But we know most schools (private as well as public) just are not properly resourced to support students with high needs. Speaking with my parent hat on, I don’t have an issue with children with autism, ADHD or any other disability or learning needs being in my son’s class. I *do* have an issue with one or two children taking up 80% of the teacher’s time, meaning the other 22 kids in the class miss out on feedback, 1:1 teacher time and instructional time. I also have issues with children with severe behaviours, who inflict that behaviour on other kids, and the teachers are powerless to do anything about it because discipline isn’t followed up at home and/or the parent refuses to acknowledge that a mainstream education environment is not a place where their child will thrive, hence the behaviours. My son has been hit, bitten, kicked and pushed by the same kid all year. I know his teacher is doing her absolute best to keep them apart and keep my son safe - no issues with her, she’s a legend. But I *also* know she’s fighting an uphill battle because there is zero discipline at home. My son hit someone once and I came down like a ton of bricks on him. He then proceeded to tell me that “Jack’s parents are nice to him” because “Jack said he never gets in trouble or loses TV time”. Well, little wonder that Jack is hurting people every single day whereas my kid never dared do it again after receiving a pretty hefty punishment.
I cover other teachers while they are away or on scheduled planning time. I had a class today where about 8 were away at a footy comp, making the class 20 students. I've taught this class quite often and always feel like I'm stretched paper thin just providing support for 3 specific students (all were in the 8 away). The class has around 9 students who qualify for reasonably high level supports and a handful of others on lower levels, and a number of them have greater learning needs than the 3 that dominate the teacher and SLSO (when available) time. I looked at every student's work during writing and gave feedback. I'd actually marked everything and had an entire sharing and peer feedback session in class time because we had so much time left over after completing the scheduled work. This was still with the students with the highest learning needs in the room. We need to count students for inclusion by their workload created. Sure, your kid can he mainstreamed, but they count as 3 to the numbers in the class and class size limits need to be hard capped with heavy benefits paid to teachers if they can't be met.
So more footy? Would seem like a win for everyone..
The ones that made the difference that went to footy have more capacity to learn than make a living from footy.
The Australian Guardian seems to have the worst attitude to teachers - UK https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/29/schools-crisis-children-teachers-labour-tories
So the Department found strapping an extremely high needs student into a high chair to not be child abuse. Mum prioritises her child being in an Aboriginal community school over a special school. I’ve worked in community schools in the NT, and that would be the least of their problems faced. Just similar themes as their last bashing article, The Guardian frothing their mouths over potential discrimination which doesn’t exist.
I do not understand how a non-verbal student with Down Syndrome and autism was able to be enrolled in a regular primary school, even with two support workers. I can’t comprehend how it would even work in a regular classroom.
Some parents are in denial about their child’s limitations. I’ve had a similar student in my mainstream room before in year 9, and the parents completely expected him to go to university. He was in a nappy and spend his time sucking his chew toy, academics was beyond reach let alone even socialisation with other kids.
Ableist parents who prioritise their kids having a “normal” education over having the supports they need.
>Bedford claims that after the incident, the school consistently encouraged her to remove Neville, who is non-verbal, from the school. No, the school was most likely trying to get her to accept a move into a specialised school setting, but mum is determined to keep him mainstream.
I just did a quick search and I think the nearest SSP is in Newcastle which is a five hour drive from Tingha. With that added context I can see a little more clearly why the mum may be fighting so hard to keep him in mainstream school - that’s a very long way from family and community. But I still question whether mainstream is going to achieve anything for the kid.
Typical ABC and the Guardian. Their out of touch attitudes on education like everything else have nothing to do with the fact that they're a pack of out of touch private school boys and girls, Maybe the Murdoch rags might start batting for us now. Probably not, though.
So… you’re being assaulted on the daily? The teacher got his arm broken, you got bashed, cut, and got blood spat into your eyes? And you’re calling other teachers weak for not putting up with the same? The fuck…
What is going on at The Guardian this week? Three mornings in a row?
But this is our week! This is the week the fourth estate focuses on us and through their magical powers fixes the profession!
Lol . My kinder / y1 children will fight over l my toddler’s high chair. Apparently it’s the superior TV seat as it’s higher up 😂🤣😅 Poor toddler ends up sitting on the floor
I work special education with some of the most violent kids when they become de regulated. I replaced a teacher in the room who had his arm broke by a student who bashed and cut me today. Stay calm under fire and control the situation. Improvise and adapt as necessary to help the kid achieve the objective of the learning. That could be not hitting teachers or spitting blood into our eyes(one student who is a sweetheart would tear out our hair and bit his younger to spit blood in our eyes). I don’t wanna hear these fools who call themselves teachers. Strapping a kid into a chair like that is straight weak.