Gold Coast teachers subject to harassment from abusive and swearing parents

Harassment of staff in Gold Coast schools from ‘abusive’ and ‘swearing’ parents has reached a crisis point, with massive demand from teachers for a measure designed to help.

GOLD COAST teachers are feeling the weight of abusive parents and students following a series of incidents at Gold Coast schools.

Jodie Walsh the Gold Coast’s Teachers Union Organiser told the Bulletin that members were experiencing a number of “challenging behaviours” amid controversies about bullying and a number of school lockdowns.

Queensland Teachers' Union Gold Coast Organiser Jodie Walsh.

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“We hear frequently that our members are dealing with parents who are unreasonable in their expectations, can be abusive and swearing,” Ms Walsh said.

“Harassment unfortunately isn’t a new thing for school staff, especially at a consistent low level.

“Teachers tend to wear this because they put the children first, but it does have an impact.

“But the behaviours aren’t justifiable.

“Those ringing the school making threats over bullying incidents are demonstrating perfect bullying behaviours themselves.”

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In a Queensland first measure Ms Walsh and the Education Department have teamed up to provide a trial workshop for school leaders on how to respond to unreasonable behaviours.

Demand for the course was so great all 60 places filled in just days.

“We could have filled the workshop twice the demand was so great.”

Ms Walsh said principals and teachers follow department guidelines and do their upmost to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, especially when it comes to bullying.

“There are policies in place, just because someone goes on Facebook saying they weren’t notified or contacted over a bullying incident doesn’t make it so,” she said.

“A lot of the time parents are changing contact details and failing to notify the school.

“Schools are doing all they can, they have policies to follow and the community needs to step up with this behaviour.”