IEU on do it yourself safety in independent schools

Try a web search for ‘protecting teachers from students’. The top response will be an article about a teacher’s responsibility to protect their students from risks of injury.

It is understandable that we have always put the student first in education – and all teachers will continue to do so – but the lack of attention to safeguarding educators is alarming, and it must change.

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership produced the National Strategy to Address the Abuse of Teachers, School Leaders and Other School Staff in 2020, which was the sixth result when we made our search.

“We need to invest in the wellbeing of the profession and work together to ensure that all teachers, school leaders, and school staff in Australian schools are safe and respected,” that report read. “We must value the teaching profession and continue our commitment to ensuring that schools are safe places of work and study by utilising national levers to address to this national problem. Together, we have a collective responsibility to show the profession that we have their backs and that there are no exceptions when it comes to schools as safe workplaces.”

This was just after the first year of the pandemic, when educators pinballed in and out of risky classrooms at a moment’s notice to keep schools running and kids’ education alive.

Where are we four years later?

Examine a sector’s behaviour management plan, and the needs and rights of troubled students are well covered. Even their parents get ample mentions. What is missing is genuine consideration of the wellbeing of staff who must deal with a problematic, violent or unpredictable student.

Of AITSL’s five priority areas in their strategy for combatting the abuse of education staff the three which you might expect to see some short-term improvement from were strengthening school communities, wellbeing, and raising the status of the profession (of teaching).

With student behaviour worse now than during the pandemic, and a teacher shortage, it’s hard to imagine many educators think things have improved on any of those fronts.

The noble vision of the AITSL report bears repeating: “All teachers, school leaders, principals and staff in Australian schools are safe and respected, in their workplaces and as members of the highly valued teaching profession”.

Five actions were listed to address abuse of staff in service of that vision. None appear to have had much impact, especially the intention to ‘design and run a national public awareness campaign aimed at improving how the broader community views the teaching profession’.

While changing perceptions about a profession is not an overnight job, parents never got a greater example of the dedication of educators than during the pandemic, when school literally came into the home. For all the plaudits for staff then, has the prevalence of parental abuse of teachers lessened since students went back to school?

On the contrary. The more that society feels the pinch, the more teachers end up copping it.

The effect of AITSL’s grand plan, featuring annual forums, public awareness campaigns and data-gathering, was always going to be hard to quantify, but it’s clear it has had little practical impact on the ground in schools.

Or in government. The Reportable Conduct Scheme and its prolonged review is evidence enough that the welfare of educators is not an urgent priority.

That’s why it is important that union members share the message that workload intensification is a health hazard; mental health is an occupational health and safety issue; physical safety is a non-negotiable requiring culture change from staff as well as employers.

AITSL’s five-year plan to combat abuse of education staff soon reaches its first review. We wish them luck refining the big picture national settings to address the scourges of online abuse, gender-based violence and flat-out assault of staff in schools.

In the meantime, unions need to step into the breach and arm members with the knowledge and skills to safeguard staff. That means having strong Consultative Committees to negotiate safer conditions, elected and trained Health and Safety Reps in every campus, and rank and file members who know how to avoid burnout and are empowered to speak up and demand change when the pressure gets too much.

We must take care of each other, in union.