Public schools record more than 2100 violent incidents in 2016
PUBLIC schools recorded more than 2000 violent incidents in 2016 — a huge rise from the previous year — as well as an alarming increase in students self-harming. What do you think: VOTE NOW
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PUBLIC schools recorded more than 2000 violent incidents in 2016 — a huge rise from the previous year — as well as an alarming increase in students self-harming.
Cases of verbal abuse, inappropriate sexual behaviour and students running away from school grounds also contributed to skyrocketing numbers of “critical incident” reports.
The 2135 violent incidents were up by a third, from 1604 in 2015. Not all are cases of student perpetrators, as reports about parents, intruders and others are included in the figures.
But they give weight to the pleas for help from teachers and principals, who say chronic student behaviour problems are making the task of lifting the state’s academic results immeasurably harder.
Critical incidents are significant or threatening events that cause disruption, put students and staff in danger, or could attract media attention. The total number leapt from 5586 to 6757 last year.
The Education Department said it was concerned that reports of self-harm, in many cases schools learning students were self-harming at home, were up from 459 to 676.
Executive director for partnerships, schools and preschools Anne Millard said a $1.8 million student wellbeing program would help teachers identify and support students who experience trauma.
“In addition, more than 500 employees work specifically on early intervention services, wellbeing, counselling and pastoral care,” Ms Millard said.
In response to violence and verbal abuse incidents, she said principals had been given greater authority to ban disruptive adults. Other rises included incidents involving weapons (265 to 294), verbal abuse (986 to 1133), students running away or missing (401 to 544), injury or illness (762 to 1040) and sexual behaviour (358 to 418).
Alleged staff misconduct (248 to 422) and “e-crime”, such as sexting, threats and harassment (190 to 239), were also up.
Some incidents were counted in more than one category.
Ms Millard said the department had established “a dedicated social work incident support service” in 2015.
But most students would complete their schooling without experiencing a “serious incident” of any kind, she said.
In the wake of poor NAPLAN results compared with other states, educators have called for a range of measures to help curb behaviour issues.
They include more specialist behaviour centres, more in-classroom support, and for student teachers to be forced to gain experience in disadvantaged schools.
SA Primary Principals Association president Pam Kent said too many new teachers had no prior experience of “extreme behaviours”. The department said the “significant resources” it put into early intervention supports were designed to improve behaviour.