Mark Oliphant College principal addresses escalating school violence after fight video emerges
Another video has emerged of shocking violence at a northern suburbs school, prompting the principal to address the incident in a letter to parents.
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Shocking video has emerged of a series of assaults involving students at a northern suburbs school, prompting the principal to address the escalation in violence.
Mark Oliphant College at Munno Para is the latest education facility to face problems with school violence after confronting footage of a male student attacking a girl began circulating on Wednesday.
The boy can be seen punching the girl right in front of a staff member.
The same student then proceeds to attack another student in a separate video.
Further footage shows a different male student retaliate against the first offender, unleashing a number of violent blows to the boy’s head before a staff member intervenes.
The incidents have rocked the school’s community with principal Kerry Williams writing a letter to parents to address the escalating violence.
“Over the past week we have had a number of incidents at the school that are unacceptable and that have been as a result of students making poor choices and not following Mark Oliphant College behaviour expectations,” Ms Williams said.
“While isolated, these behaviours are not what we expect at the school and are not upholding our core school values of ‘Be safe, be respectful and be responsible.’”
She said the incident have been reported to the police and the education department.
“Leaders at Mark Oliphant College have been working closely to support the students, staff and families involved in these incidents,” she said.
She said the school would also review its mobile phone policy.
“A consultation process between students, parents and staff will now begin, as we are aware that a number of South Australian public high schools have already chosen to adopt the incoming ‘off and away’ Department for Education policy for mobile phones during the day with success,” she said.
“We will continue to monitor the outcomes of the policy for those schools, particularly in light of it potentially discouraging inappropriate behaviour by students.”
Education minister Blair Boyer said the latest video was “hard to watch.”
“The first thought I think any parent, grandparent or carer would have is imagining if it was their own child,” he said.
A phone ban is set to be introduced at all South Australian schools by the start of term three in 2023, with some already adopting the move.
Mr Boyer said the ban was an opportunity to make “generational change”.
“Get kids off devices in class and stop some of the social media harrassing and bullying that occurs. We can actually leadthe nation on this stuff,” he said.
The latest violence follows reports a young student had been charged with assault following an alleged violent attack on a fellow pupil in Whyalla.
Police have launched an investigation at one of our biggest schools as disturbing vision emerges of extreme violence.
— 9News Adelaide (@9NewsAdel) February 8, 2023
It shows a male student punching a female student in the face, knocking her to the ground right in front of a teacher. @KellyCHughes_#9Newspic.twitter.com/fqT5OMgE2I
Footage of the incident, from week two of term one, shows a Whyalla Secondary College student allegedly punching a class mate as he cowers on a step on the school grounds.
A 15-year-old boy has been bailed after he was charged by police over the incident. He will appear in the Whyalla Youth Court on March 15.
More footage obtained by 7NEWS shows another fight between two young girls on the netball courts with other pupils encouraging their behaviour.
The video depicts one girl jumping on another before adults are seen to pull them apart.
Last week, a string of violent fights between schoolchildren at Whyalla Secondary College surfaced online on popular smartphone app Snapchat.
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