A former north Queensland teacher is suing the Education Department for a substantial amount because a student threatened her with a knife.

B. Wilkinson, Malanda, Letter to the Editor, Talking Point, p. 79, The Courier-Mail, 26-27 June 2010.

Parkers Simmonds Solicitors senior partner Bruce Simmonds warns that weapons are becoming more prevalent in Queensland schools and that the violence in Queensland schools is worse than ever.

"We're talking about children in Prep being extremely violent - you're getting extreme bullying and sexual assault," Mr Simmonds said.

"The parents (of the bullies) are rubbish and the children are spoiled."

"They don't understand the effects of what they're doing, everything is me-related."

School bullying in Queensland costly for taxpayers, Alison Sandy, The Courier-Mail, 24 May 2010.

In December 2009, Queensland Teachers' Union members took a vote of no confidence in the principal of a school on Brisbane's northern outskirts.

Education Queensland admited that there was a crisis of confidence at the school.

Education Queensland director-general Julie Grantham acknowledged what was happening at the school was "not normal".

18 cases of "inappropriate s-xual behaviour" between children had been reported at the school since 2008.

Eight of the 18 alleged incidents had happened during the last semester of 2009.

11 cases were reported to the police.

But only one student was suspended.

Parents, carers and relatives told The Courier-Mail of widespread unrest at the school, fuelled in 2009 by the alleged s-xual assaults and behaviour.

429 students were enrolled at the school in 2005.

298 students were enrolled at the school in February 2009.

85 students were withdrawn from the school by their parents during 2009.

An investigation into the school principal's leadership was expected to be completed by 10 December 2009.

The school principal is also under a separate investigation by the Department of Education.

School loses a third of students amid 18 s-x incidents, Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, 3 December 2009.

Cooktown State School teachers had to hide with students in a locked library on 9 March 2010.

Police were called to deal with eleven senior students who were involved in a violent melee in the playground.

Cooktown police explained that the problem was a "feud" between students from rival communities.

Cooktown State School teachers are also being threatened outside of school hours.

"Teachers are being intimidated and threatened and they are constantly saying they need background information on some of these children so they know what they're dealing with," a source said.

The students are carrying makeshift weapons such as stingray barbs and steak knives.

Students terrorise teachers, Gavin King, p. 31, The Sunday Mail : 28 March 2010.

A nine-year-old student at Rockville State School in Toowoomba was alleged to be throwing chairs and threatening people with a fork- like implement at about 1.45pm on 18 March 2010.

The school was put into lockdown and the Toowoomba Police were called.

Violent student sparks lockdown, Alyssa Kimilin, The Chronicle : 19 March 2010.

Students with attention deficit disorder ( ADD ) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) find it hard to concentrate.

They are often unruly and sometimes violent.

Across Queensland, ADHD and ADD affect close to five per cent of primary school children.

But at least three schools in the Lockyer Valley have classes in which one in every two students has either ADD or ADHD.

Queensland Teachers' Union ( QTU ) representative Barry Welch said several classes in Ipswich had similar levels of behavioural disorders.

At Gatton State School, a teacher in their first year in the job was given a class in which more than half of the students had behavioural disorders.

"The teachers need a lot more support than they are getting," Mr Welch said.

"There should not be so many ADHD students in a mainstream class."

Deputy-director of education and training Lyn McKenzie said: "We recognise the impact that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) and attention deficit disorder ( ADD ) can have on student's learning."

"Support services include -

 * individualised planning for each ADHD and ADD student, to be completed in the teacher's own time, after a long, hard day in the classroom and before going home to prepare for the next day's work,

 * provision of learning support,

 * small group programs

 * and professional development for teachers which has to be completed in the classroom teacher's own time after a hard day's work in the classroom and before going home to prepare for the next day's work,

 * and teacher aides - but Education Queensland does not provide enough teacher aides, and managing the teacher aide's work has to be done by the classroom teacher in their own time, after a hard day's work in the classroom and before going home to prepare for the next day's work."

ADHD cases swamp our schools, Chris Garry, Ipswich News: 19 January 2010.

I teach in a Queensland state school.

Behaviour in many schools is absolutely horrific.

Until a zero tolerance policy is adopted, schools will remain shackled to the poorly behaved students.

Chris of Brisbane, Reader's Comment, Sort teaching wheat from chaff, Ross Guest, The Courier-Mail : 20 November 2009

I return home each day from teaching more shocked than the day before.

I have taught in many schools, some of them regarded by the public as the "better" public schools, and find the level of disrespect for teachers, fellow students, school management and most of all learning, to be not simply astounding but very disturbing.

I was a manager for over 20 years in a variety of industries and have worked in three countries.

I fear for the future of Australia - I picture the current students in a work environment and the tremendous problems managers are going to have trying to get value from these future employees.

I can only agree with Rupert Murdoch (Boyer lectures) that we are ill-prepared for th21st century global challenges faced by humanity.

Students in middle and senior school struggle with grammar, cannot string a paragraph together, have little analytical skill, have no ide about deductive and inductive logic, have little or no moral foundation and understanding, are almost solely hedonistic in their outlook, have no coherent worldview and have parents who are disinterested.

A colleague contacted a parent to explain that their child was being disruptive, uncooperative, etc. etc.

The parent said, "You should be glad he is in school, he's not killing anyone is he?", end of conversation.

Bert Watt of Brisbane, Reader's Comment 451 of 457, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

We are harbouring a generation of "couldn't give a damn" kids spoiled rotten by their gen-x parents who probably discipline their pets better than they do their own children.

And schools are hampered by this overly-rosy picture that children's egos are sacrosanct and that discipline should always be applied as a last resort.

Tom Barton, "burned-out" state education department employee, Reader's Comment 426 of 450, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

During my two teaching pracs this year I've seen the best and worst of student behaviour.

Each school seems to develop a culture from its principal.

One school had a no-nonsense, proactive principal, happy to support teachers when behaviour issues arise.

great and happy school for everyone.

The other school had a principal who was rarely seen and who let his teachers suffer repeated verbal abuse and shocking behaviour.

The teachers at this school (in western Brisbane) have poor morale and many students have poor behaviour.

Come on principals - lead by example and support your teachers!

Student teacher, Readers' Comment 452 of 457, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail, 7 November : 2009

I have been a high school teacher for the past 5 years and have now moved into another profession.

A large proportion of the students I have come across are not interested in their education.

Many see school purely as a place to socialise.

The increase in very poor behaviour and the mentality of not wanting to do anything has made the job of teaching predominantly about behaviour management.

As far as I can see, things are only going to get worse.

Kids are rude, see teachers as people they can treat like cr-p and know all their "rights" but sadly none of their responsibilities.

The number of students that now coin the phrase "You can't do that to me, I can sue you for that" has become a complete joke.

I honestly don't think that non-teachers realise how bad the State Education System has become.

I feel sorry for the people left in the profession; it is a thankless, stressful and underpaid job.

TC, Readers Comments 157 of 182, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009.

So many in the profession discuss the shocking behaviour outside of the classroom and have done for years, but are too afraid of the backlash from our employer to speak up about it.

The shocking behaviour and disrespect I have had to put up with throughout my five year career have definitely become worse, to the point where, this year, I was threatened with a fist in my face by a Grade 4 (nine year old) student that he was going to "F---ing punch yo in the f---ing mouth", after I had witnessed and responded to an act of violence he committed against another student.

Teacher of Far North Queensland, Reader's Comment 428 of 450, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

I worked for many years as a teacher and administrator with Education Queensland. It only takes a few totally disruptive, uncontrolled students without any notion of self-discipline to ruin and chance of leaning for the majority of students.

Abuse by students, both verbal and physical, of other students, teachers and support staff, is widespread and increasing.

Principal no more of Queensland, Reader's Comment 446 of 450, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O' Loan, The Courer-Mail : 7 November, 2009

I work in a school and witness shocking behaviour on a daily basis.

An example this week ended up with a year one boy kicking, punching and verbally abusing me -

"I'm gonna break your f------ neck" was just one of the things he said.

- all because the bell rang and the teacher hadn't handed out pens that he wanted.

The parents didn't have the decency to apologise for their son's behaviour and claimed the education system "picks on" their son.

Behaviour is becoming worse - because for some parents it's easier to blame the system rather than to step up and take responsibility for the behaviour of their children.

Lyndy Huxley of Alex hills, Readers' Comment 442 of 450, Queensland heaeded for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O' Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

With both my parents as teachers I have watched as their job has expanded from simply teaching their subject to their becoming welfare officers, bouncers in the playground breaking up fights, social workers and crowd control.

Mardi Haworth of Hope Island, Readers' Comments 162 of 182, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail ; 7 November, 2009

I am a young teacher in Logan in a tough school and daily see the horrific attitudes and behaviour of both students and parents.

Too many kids who have never had boundaries.

Too many parents who are willing to defend their child even if they have trashed a class.

Too many excuses.

The good kids deserve better.

Chris of Brisbane, Reader's Comment 171 of 182, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

To all those who blame the teachers for the lack of education that their children are receiving -

Quite often the teacher's time is spent trying to sort out disruptive children.

These disruptive children are taking time away from your child's learning.

As a Prep teacher, my wife has received death threats from a five-year old.

It's laughable.

But what kind of a home life does he have to start saying rubbish like that?

Only imagine how much time was required to keep him under control, so that the other children were not too disadvantaged.

Felix, Readers' Comments 150, Premier Anna Bligh finds $1 billion for Queensland teachers, Darrell Giles, The Sunday Mail, 7 November, 2009.

I've taught in Queensland for over forty years and standards have always seemed to fall but in the last ten years they've just "fallen over a cliff" both academically and socially.

John, Readers' Comments 91 of 128, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

There is no respect for teachers.

I work in a High School and we are not supposed to speak out.

The arrogant, nasty pupils and their parents, the foul language they use around the school grounds and at the teachers.

They defy all the rules of dress code.

They have all the rights and teachers and other support staff have none.

Vandalism is rife, they have no respect for other people's property.

They lie through their teeth when confronted.

... Teachers are there to teach and should not have to put up with the cr-p that they do now.

I would not be a teacher for a million dollars.

Elizabeth, Readers' Comments 81 of 128, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail : 7 November, 2009

I have three teachers in my family.

The abuse all three have endured from their students is astounding.

The high school the two boys teach at, in regional Queensland, allows students to have their phones and ipods in class.

This is not conducive to learning.

In fact, when one girl was asked to turn her phone off as she was spending a lot of time texting on it, she told the teacher to "F--k off", then phoned her mother to "come up to the school and sort the f--king teacher out".

This was in the classroom during a lesson.

How can students learn when this behaviour is allowed to continue?

The student was "sent to the office".

But it was the teacher who was actually reprimanded by the principal for "picking on" the student.

The principal seems to have decided that it was easier to appease the student - and the parent - than to support the teacher.

I am extremely proud of my family and their dedication to teaching but they need support to do the job they have been trained to do. ...

Mother of two teachers, Reader's Comments 26 of 128, Queensland headed for dumb, immoral future, warns teacher, James O'Loan, The Courier-Mail, 7 November, 2009.

Barry Welch says that teachers have been brought before Queensland's Education Department just for separating two students who were fighting.

"The Current guidelines are very unfair for teachers," Mr Welch said.

"There have been teachers in Ipswich who have simply pressed on a student's chest to move them away from another kid and the student will complain about inappropriate touching."

"The teacher then has a mark on their record - even though all other evidence showed they did nothing wrong."

Calls for self defence training for teachers, Chris Garry, The Queensland Times, 2 September, 2009.

A Gold Coast teacher, fed up with the lack of respect and the attitude they face in the classroom, told Robyn Wuth of goldcoast.com.au that the rate of truancy at Coombabah State School averaged more than 150 students every day.

The teacher told Robyn Wuth that every day, like clockwork, there is a mass departure from many schools at lunchtime.

The students wander the streets.

Nobody knows what they are doing.

But they are not learning to read and write.

The students are getting away with doing what they want, when they want.

The days of the cane are long gone.

Children know their rights.

They know that if the teachers tried to physically drag them back into the school, they could claim that their teachers had assaulted them.

Education Minister Geoff Wilson's office says that the exact number of children wagging school is confidential.

The statistics would be hard to compile.

The figures are not kept centrally.

It's not an issue.

Executive director for schools on the Gold Coast, Richard English, has previously said there is no truancy problem in the city.

Round up those truants, Robyn Wuth, goldcoast.com.au , 29 August, 2009.

Dennis Bailey is fed up with his fellow teachers being abused.

At a Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU) rally yesterday he told the Daily Mercury how his fellow teachers have been -

 - spat on

 - punched

 - had their property stolen

 - and yelled at in public on several occasions.

Mr Bailey said the teachers' dispute with the Bligh Labor government was not just about pay - it was about working conditions.

"Enough is enough," he said.

"Teachers need better treatment."

Teachers demand better treatment, Bianca Clare, Mackay Daily Mercury, 6 August, 2009

I have been teaching for six years in Logan and I have recently applied for two years' unpaid leave.

I have also recently enrolled in a TAFE course in a completely different industry.

Wages are too low in the teaching profession and working conditions are poor.

The problems (violence in schools, abusive parents, etc.) are increasing at an alarming rate.

Monica Dawkins of New Farm, comment 1 of 19, 10,000 teachers on leave as temporary ones take over, Natalie Gregg, The Courier-Mail, 9 July, 2009.

Badly behaved children, badly behaved parents, continually working in your free time, endless curriculum and policy changes, less than ordinary pay, an ever thankless, critical and ungrateful community - seriously, who would want to be a teacher?

Is there any wonder that so many are on leave?

I say make the move to greener pastures permanent.

I did just that a number of years ago and I have never looked back.

It is only a matter of time before the Queensland government has to roll out a campaign like they did with the nurses to try to entice experienced, quality teachers back with promises of how "things have changed".

I, for one, will never go back.

Teaching?

You are welcome to it.

Ex-chalkie of QLD, comment 9 of 19, 10,000 teachers on leave as temporary ones take over, Natalie Gregg, The Courier-Mail, 9 July, 2009.

I am a teacher who left the profession because I was so disheartened with "the system".

I am also a mother of a daughter in Year 8 and a son in Year 10, both at a state high school.

So much time, energy and attention is given to the badly behaved students that the well-behaved ones spend much of their school day waiting.

I would like to count how many of the 25 hours of education they actually receive.

This issue is not only about the expulsion-worthy students but the continually disruptive, flat-out naughty children as well.

Their behavior is "managed", not really addressed or corrected.

How can a teacher give an inspiring lesson after going 4 rounds with "Disruptive Dan"?

It is mentally and emotionally exhausting tackling these students on a daily basis.

Parents need to take responsibility for their child's behaviour and stop blaming the teacher and / or the school.

The behaviour problems are societal.

Education Queensland needs to "get real".

"We do not tolerate bad behaviour in state schools" the Departmental spokesmen claim.

Tolerate? Today's system enables bad behaviour.

Bring back respect, good manners and serious consequences for bad behaviour.

Posted by Susan Daley, 2 June, 2009, Mornings with Madonna King, 612 ABC Brisbane Mornings, ABC Local Radio.

A teacher from an Ipswich region school, who spoke to The Queensland Times on the condition of anonymity, said students, some as young as five, had thrown chairs, bitten and kicked students and staff and walked out of class, and there were sometimes up to four unruly children per classroom.

My son is now happily teaching at a school in SA.

He had enough of the Queensland 'kids rule' schools .

Last year he disciplined a Year 6 student for breaking a strict lunch time rule, by confiscating the child's soccer ball.

The child told his part-time father, a violent man, a fabricated story.

As a result of this fabricated story my son was threatened with physical attack and police action.

Luckily the school Principal stood by my son and the boy subsequently admitted he had lied, but as no discipline was meted out to the boy for his deplorable act and he got off scot free, he has learned nothing other than it is OK to lie.

The whole incident caused my son severe trauma and he saw the futility of discipline.

His motto for his remaining few weeks here in Queensland was 'let them do what they like'.

• Posted by: Nettie of Brisbane, comment 92, Teachers subject to harrowing attacks by students, Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, Monday, May 18 2009

I am a Queensland teacher.

I teach because I want to and I love doing it.

What I don't like is having to constantly give over more of my teaching time to those in the class who don't want to be there, or do not have the social and emotional skills to be in my classroom, or to those students who have parents who do not support what I am trying to do in my classroom with their child (in many eyes, I am a 'well-paid babysitter').

I would like SUPPORT from the Education Department to effectively deal with ALL of my students.

At the moment, my more-able students are being treated as sacrificial lambs at the expense of the less-able or less-inclined students.

I am starting to tell students (quietly) to complain to their parents about the disruptive behaviour of other students and encourage them to contact the school and Education Government about their lack of educational opportunities because of the acts and behaviour of others.

Most of my time is now focussed on behaviour management and I don't think it is fair for the rest of the class to be made to suffer as a result of a minority of students in my classroom.

• Posted by: A teacher and parent of Townsville, Comment 66, Teachers subject to harrowing attacks by students, Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, Monday, May 18, 2009

Queensland State School teachers are being terrorised by their students in 2009.

Students have -

• assaulted their teachers with bricks and furniture.
• threatened them with death.
• spat on them.
• held them hostage.

There were more than 150 attacks on Education Queensland staff and students from intruders during 2008.

Teachers in prep classes, in particular, face rising violence.

One special school teacher had her jaw broken and multiple teeth knocked out by a student.

Another suffered extensive eye socket and rib damage after being assaulted by a student.

Special education seems to be an area of work in which there is a high possibility of being injured by students.

Teachers need to consider this possiblity when deciding to move into the special needs area.

You may have to retire early from teaching because of injury.

You may face an impoverished old age, too ill to seek other work.

A teacher who specialises in behaviour management contacted The Courier-Mail in May 2009 to report that during the past fortnight-

• a brick had been thrown at her
• she had been threatened with dangerous weapons
• a chair had been thrown at her
• a classroom window had been smashed
• she had received specific and detailed death threats.
• she had been told that, after she was dead, her classroom was going to be burned down.

Almost 300 state school students were expelled for violence.

• Teachers subject to harrowing attacks by students, Tanya Chilcott, The Courier-Mail, Monday, May 18, 2009

A 17-year-old student has been expelled from Elanora State High School because he bared his backside in front of a young female teacher during a student protest against being asked to wear the correct school uniform.

A crowd of students were rebelling against the new Elanora acting principal, who is cracking down on bad behaviour and dress code breaches.

Miami State High School principal Jim Baker was transferred to the acting role at Elanora on February 16 after the death of former principal Roslyn Wilson.

Mr Baker said he had spoken to students about the code of behaviour, a document drafted by the parents and citizens association in consultation with the community.

Mr Baker said societal norms had shifted and kids were far more argumentative.

"They ask questions, probe and speak up.

They back chat, they challenge, they want to know."

Students who spoke with The Bulletin believed Mr Baker's actions were 'too strict'.

"He's just a relief principal," said one student.

"People should be able to have piercings and dye their hair and have as much make-up as they want."

The Gold Coast Bulletin believes Mr Baker should be commended for his actions to clean up the school.

• Student moons teacher in protest, Katrina Jones, Gold Coast News, Sunday 1 March, 2009

More than 55,000 suspensions were handed out for unruly and violent behaviour in Queensland schools during 2007-08.

This represents an increase of 20 per cent over 2005-06.

Too many Queensland teachers report that classroom behaviour is a problem on the verge of catastrophe.

• Get ahead of unruly behaviour, Editorial, The Courier-Mail, Monday 16 February, 2009

Education Minister Rod Welford is right when he says (in the Courier-Mail, Jan 20, 2009) that

"Just about every teacher in the state is working in classes with students who have some measure of behaviour problems"

-but what is he doing about it?

• Drew Jackson of Warwick, Letter to the editor, Talking Point, p. 24, The Courier-Mail, Wednesday 21 January, 2009.

If you work in a "difficult to staff or remote" Queensland school, it is common to be -

* threatened daily

* pushed

* shoved

* spat at

* sworn at

* lied to

* insulted

and generally treated like a second-class citizen.

"John of Brisbane ", Readers Comments, Bonus to Teach The Toughest, Darrell Giles, The Sunday Mail : 30 November, 2008.

"Annie" is a deputy principal in a "complex" Queensland school.

Annie has been working as a teacher for 20 years.

Her workload has become heavier every year.

She does not have time for coffee breaks or lunch breaks.

This has affected her health.

She is dealing with children who have been incredibly emotionally damaged.

She has had to deal with as many as 16 six-to-20 day suspensions in one day.

Annie has to contact the parents of these children to discuss the suspensions.

These parents can be terribly abusive.

They can use the vilest language.

Annie says that teachers are very vulnerable to abuse.

Much more vulnerable than other public servants and members of the service community.

Because people can simply walk in off the street and demand to speak to a teacher face to face.

There is no screen to protect teachers from abuse.

Or from agressive, violent, drunk or drug-affected behaviour.

People can stand just inches away from you and scream abuse right into your face.

And you are alone.

There is no support while you are being abused.

And, when the persona abusing you finally leaves the room, there is no support.

There is no de-briefing.

There is nothing.

Queensland teachers tell each other that Education Queensland burns out good teachers.

That if you try to do the job well, it simply kills you.

Because nobody can cope with the workload.

Realities of Life in Complex Schools, pp12-13, Queensland Teachers' Journal, Volume 31, Number 6 : 22 August, 2008.

"Barry" did three years of country service, teaching in a Queensland state school.

Then he was transferred to a "complex" Queensland state school for another three years.

Barry was verbally or physically assaulted at this "complex" Queensland state school every day.

In one ten minute period one student punched him, spat at him, threw her shoes and various other objects at him and abused him.

She was not even suspended.

Barry had to "lock down" his classroom several times.

Another teacher was stabbed in the arm.

The stress of the work affected his home life.

He found it very hard to get out of bed every day and go to work, knowing what was going to happen.

The experience still affects him.

Realities of Life in Complex Schools, pp. 12-13, Queensland Teachers' Journal, Volume 31, Number 6 : 22 August, 2008.