What you said about Qld teacher Olivia wanting to quit the profession

Queensland’s teacher crisis is reaching breaking point – but the solution appears no closer. HAVE YOUR SAY

Queensland’s teacher crisis is reaching breaking point – but the solution appears no closer.

In April 2024 an early-career teacher revealed she was on the brink of abandoning the profession after being assaulted by a seven-year-old student.

The young woman, who has been a primary school teacher for less than four years, said mass amounts of unpaid overtime along with complex, ever-increasing needs of students and occupational violence have forced her to rethink her future in the career she’d dreamt about.

Olivia, who gave permission for only her first name to be used and did not want her school publicly identified, told how the workplace violence incident had taken a toll on her, requiring treatment for shoulder and back injuries.

“I was assaulted by a seven-year-old in the classroom,” she said.

Olivia can’t see herself in the profession for longer than another two years. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Courier-Mail

With Queensland teachers quitting in droves and record low numbers, the news sparked debate among readers.

Many claimed teachers are now faced with an impossible task.

Others said it’s time parents took back responsibility for their child’s actions.

While others tossed up a range of ideas to help solve the issue.

See what you had to say and join the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

Blame the parents

Kurt

Behavioural issues begin and end in the home. Start holding parents more accountable. The fact we expect someone who is with them for 25hrs a week to be the responsible party is nonsense.

Jackie

Not surprising when you see some of the “games” kids play on line now. Add teachers who bring their activist beliefs into the classroom, others who should have chosen a different vocation in the first place, and parents who can’t control their kids, and chaos will reign.

Paul

In my view there is one piece that is being totally missed and that is the lack of parent contact time because the kids go to school after they have been in OSCH before school and then go again after school. This time is not a learning experience but childcare during which there are no consequences for any behavioural issues.

Nicole

My mum was a teacher for 45 years and retired a decade ago. Not once was she physically assaulted. Copped a fair verbal whack on a couple of rare occasions. Back then the issues were more the parent than the kids.

David

“ Children are only as bad as their parents allow them to become “ … and that’s the problem.

I have an idea!

CIIIR

Bring back the opportunity classes for the difficult students on the condition that a return to normal classroom activities will be subject to improved behaviour. Parents will be embarrassed with their lovelies being pigeonholed and hopefully will take steps to become involved in behavioural solutions.

Julie

It is Time “inclusion” was taken out of the class room, and schools or areas set aside for children with “Needs” are looked after. Mainstream kids are suffering with the teachers and that is not fair. Some real discipline also needs to be put back. Stop rewarding every breath a kid takes and teach them the fact that doing wrong has consequences. Don’t give up Olivia. todays kids need you.

DocBud

The real problem is the lack of consequences for violent and abusive behaviour. A short suspension and then back to school to continue the bad behaviour.

Brian

How about bringing back the cane/strap … that worked extremely well previously. The soft bleeding heart approach is an absolute disaster.

It’s a mess

Doug

Minister Grace has responded to the discipline catastrophe by creating appeals against student short term suspensions by school principals. Wow! What a solution.

Patrick

The world seems to have gone mad … why are teachers expected to have behaviour management strategies while children are not taught to be respectful and behave properly?

Rex

There needs to be more backup for teachers, or even 2 teachers in every class, which would help with the out of hours time spent with admin/preparing classes, etc.

Kaz

Inclusion bs. Behavioural issues in one child shouldn’t take away from the rest of the class but it does. I took my kids out of public and put them in private school where good behaviour is the norm and expected.