Community backs calls for respect for school teachers and staff

AN ONLINE poll shows overwhelming support for teachers and school staff who want more respect. It comes as staff tell us why change is needed.

Sharon Cattell, Redcliffe State High School; Julianne Janbroers, Clontarf Beach State High School; Bec Barnes, Humpybong State School; Sue Thomas, Deception State School; and Karen Richardson, Redcliffe Special School School. Photo: Ric Frearson

AN ONLINE poll shows almost 97 per cent of people believe school staff and teachers deserve more respect.

The results come as 13 schools on the Redcliffe Peninsula, tired of having their staff subjected to abuse and bad behaviour, launch a program to force change.

A Quest Community News online poll showed it is a move which has found support. Of 696 votes, 675 people (96.98 per cent) said school staff and teachers should be shown more respect, with just 21 people (3.03 per cent) saying they should not.

The Respect Commit to It program is a bid to develop a consistent approach to the problem and set clear guidelines for parents and caregivers.

Schools will provide more professional development for frontline staff and programs that can be run with parents to set clear parameters for behaviour.

It also has the backing of school staff. Seven school administration officers have offered an insight into the issue.

All said they loved their jobs but a minority of poorly behaved parents had a big impact on stress levels.

Redcliffe State High School’s Sharon Cattell said: “Most parents are great but you do deal with a minority that have unrealistic expectations and at times become aggressive.”

Redcliffe Special School’s Karen Richardson said she hoped the Respect program would break the cycle of disrespectful behaviour in some families.

Bec Barnes from Humpybong State School. Photo: Ric Frearson

Bec Barnes, of Humpybong State School, said the program would give staff confidence knowing they had support and the tools to deal with tough situations.

Clontarf Beach State High School’s Julianne Janbroers said it presented a united front and she hoped the community would engage with it.

Sue Thomas from Deception Bay State School said educating parents that staff were there to help them was key to the program’s success.

Her colleague Kylie Pelzer agreed and said if parents modelled good behaviour, children would learn what was acceptable.

“Kids can see you don’t have to be angry to get what you want. There are ways around it by being calm and talking,” Ms Pelzer said.

Redcliffe State High School’s Joanne Lock was on the front counter for five years before moving into a new role at the school.

She said enforcing the school’s enrolment management plan was stressful because parents could not understand why their child could not attend the school if they lived outside the catchment area.

Redcliffe State High School principal, and one of the project co-ordinators Shona McKinlay, said schools could not solve the problem by themselves and needed the broader community to take a stand.

“We want this community to be the best it can be,” she said.

Project chairman Paul Pickering said it was an issue that police and paramedics regularly encountered which had been addressed with a public awareness campaign.

He said one in three principals had received some kind of abuse.

The schools will set consistent guidelines for behaviour and call on community groups and businesses to do the same.

Fundraisers will also be held to raise money for resources.

SCHOOLS INVOLVED:

Clontarf Beach State School

Clontarf Beach State High School

Deception Bay State School

Deception Bay State High School

Deception Bay North State School

Hercules Road State School

Humpybong State School

Kippa-Ring State School

Moreton Downs State School

Redcliffe State High School

Redcliffe Special School

Woody Point Special School

Scarborough State School