Whyalla high school students speak out after shocking schoolgirl attack video but minister rules out security guards
Security guards won’t be brought in at the recently-opened Whyalla super school – despite scared students revealing violence happens daily and new images emerge of another brawl.
Education
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Whyalla Secondary College students have spoken out as another video emerges of a shocking schoolyard attack, saying violence is an almost-daily occurrence.
A 15-year-old girl has been arrested and charged with assault causing harm over the incident and will appear in Whyalla Youth Court in June.
On Wednesday, footage emerged of another fight between a group of young boys at the College.
Video shows the trio punching and kicking each other in a wild scuffle inside the halls.
Students say longstanding feuds between rival schools in the area have spilt over into the College, which only opened in term 1 this year.
The new $100 million “super school” replaced Stuart, Edward John Eyre and Whyalla high schools, siphoning 1500 students into one campus.
A Whyalla Secondary College student, whose friendship group had been targeted by bullies, said discontent ran deep between warring student factions.
“Every day there are new fights and arguments … it’s really scary at times,” she said.
“This was just a normal day.”
Meanwhile, one parent has called for more open conversations about how staff can deal with students at the ‘super school’.
But Education Minister Blair Boyer said despite the continuing violence, security guards would not be implemented at the school.
“I think at the moment the answer is no, and I’m pretty confident that’s the opinion of the principal and deputy principal too. I’m always willing to consider whatever is necessary... but putting kind of drastic security measures in place like that in schools, you might not get the outcome that you desire,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide on Thursday.
“You kind of I guess change environment of the school in a pretty serious way that can potentially backfire.
“Having said that, if something like that is what the principal; comes to me with, or the department suggests is what we need, I’m happy to look at it, but it’s not something we’re considering at the moment.”
Mr Boyer said the super school was a “world class piece of educational infrastructure” but challenges had risen from combining three schools.
“We’re only fresh into that process and hopefully things do settle down but it’s pretty full on for the teaching staff and leadership as well … they are feeling the pinch,” Mr Boyer said.
He said filling three staff vacancies at the school would be his priority.
“In a new school where you are dealing with pretty complex behavioural issues, three staff vacancies even in a big school like this one … they really need those extra educators there,” he said.
Mr Boyer said the Labor government had no current plans to build a new super school.
“We don’t have any plans to do that at this stage, no, but I’m not going to rule it out,” he said.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s the size of this school that’s the issue, I think it’s made up of three previously separate groups coming together.”
Staff from the employee assistance program would today visit the school to offer long-term support to staff and students affected by the incident.
Adrian Clappis and Jeanita Burgess’ 12-year-old daughter Taleea has just started high school at the school. Mr Clappis said he was shocked by the “cowardly” incident.
“I don’t know what it was over, but that footage was shocking and I feel very sorry for her. She didn’t get a chance to defend herself.” he said.
“How would that girl feel if all those other girls got up to attack her?”
He said they had since spoken to Taleea about how to respond if she found herself in a similar situation.
“We always talk to her about having a right to defend herself. Don’t go looking for trouble, but if it finds you, use self-defence,” he said.
“She is a fantastic kid and we’ve had nothing but fantastic results from her.”
He believed that bringing three schools together was always going to cause problems.
“When I was at school, fights were the norm, but things are a bit different these days.”
“There’s always been a bit of a rift between the different schools and when you bring them together it is going to take a few years for those feelings to subside.”
Whyalla high school fight: Parents plead for action after shocking schoolgirl attack
Year 11 student Jesse Traum said the incident was alarming.
“The victim was in the same year as me so it was quite a shock. I actually felt sick watching the video,” he said.
“I was on the oval at the time. I would have tried to break it up and assist if I was there. To see no-one helping was hard to watch.”
Jesse’s mother, Kerry Ramke, said she had heard about the incident from the school’s Facebook page. She was concerned that the single “super school” left parents with less choice.
“It’s great having this brand new school, but I personally liked to have the option of a few schools to choose from,” Ms Ramke said.
A Whyalla father, who wished to remain anonymous, said that violence got to the point his son was forced to move to Samaritan College – now the only other secondary school in the area.
“He went every day without eating because he didn’t feel comfortable going to get his lunch from his locker, because that’s where a lot of kids hang out,” he said.
Some parents said they only found out about the incident through a letter shared to the school’s Facebook page.
“Violence and aggression are not tolerated in our school and we will be taking appropriate disciplinary measures,” it read.
The letter also asked for “any mobile phone footage of the incident be deleted immediately and not forwarded on or posted online”.
But one mother told The Advertiser that she was glad the video had been circulated.
“I’m sad this happened but glad it was sent out. The school told us if we had videos they had to be deleted,” she said.
“Complaints have been made but they go unheard.”
Minister’s visit
Education Minister Blair Boyer travelled to the school today in the wake of the teenager’s arrest.
“I‘ve got three young daughters at primary school and my first thoughts were that I can’t imagine what it would be like if that was one of my kids getting violently assaulted like that,” Mr Boyer said.
“I think trying to get her to re-engage in school is going to be tough.
“She’s already been through enough. I don’t want her to miss any more of her education.”
He said the fact the incident was caught on camera was a “catch-22”.
“Having video evidence of what happened I’m sure will probably help SAPOL now that charges have been laid,” he said.
“But the poor victim who has already been violently assaulted is now having to relive it and know that people around the country and some around the world have viewed what‘s happened to her.
“There‘s nothing about that footage that was comfortable to view. I could hear what appeared to be giggling and that wasn’t pleasant at all.”
Mr Boyer said he was working swiftly to provide as much support to the victim and the school as they need.
“We are making sure that stuff like counselling is available to all students and staff at the school,” he said.
“Every student and staff member should have the right to be safe at school.”
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