I was most concerned to read recently that more than 70 per cent of principals and teachers in ACT government schools had been physically assaulted by students, and some 38 per cent assaulted by parents. The figures were less for the non-government sector, but are still significant.

Teaching is a hard enough profession as it is, without the extra worry of student and parental violence against staff.

In the 1960s, when I was at school, it was unthinkable that a student or parent would bash a teacher. I recall in Year 10 in 1967 being sent to the headmaster at Narrabundah High for accidentally spraying my science teacher with water. I was rightly given six of the best by our principal! In those days, the only time I recall a teacher ever being attacked was when three 16-year-old former students attacked our principal at the Narrabundah shops one Saturday morning. They got more than they bargained for. Our principal left two of them in the gutter, and the remaining one beat a hasty retreat down the road in the direction of Nimbin Street.

In recent years, teachers have been severely injured in attacks, and one school was actually locked down for a while due to violence.

What can be done?

I can’t see any Government reintroducing the cane, but there are a number of things I’d recommend.

In the first instance, a student should be automatically suspended for verbal attacks and minor acts of violence against teachers. Then, if it occurs again, a court restraining order should be sought. If the restraining order is breached, criminal assault charges should be laid. For more violent attacks, police should be called, and the student suspended until the case is finalised in court.

I can understand the odd parent being frustrated with a teacher or school on occasions, but that is no reason to viciously give the teacher a tongue lashing, let alone to use physical violence. Parental violence should immediately lead to police being called and charges laid.

Other preventative measures could include banning mobile phones from class (as NSW is doing); better structured, more interesting lessons; and teachers taking an extracurricular activity (like coaching the under-15 netball team), and thus getting to know their students outside the classroom. Even difficult students are less likely to be violent toward a teacher they know and like as a person. At my old school, Narrabundah, all teachers had to take at least one extracurricular activity. This occurs as a matter of course in many non-government schools, and needs to be reintroduced in our ACT government schools.

Introducing even some of these measures would help.