Teachers working in fear - Calls made for educators to be trained at de-escalating conflicts

A former teacher is expressing concern about the safety of educators after a recent Supreme Court ruling stemming from a school brawl.

The court awarded several million dollars in damages to a student who was left bloodied and missing a tooth during a violent incident with another student. The court ruled that the teacher's failure to intervene before the confrontation turned physical is a "clear breach of the duty and standard of care".

But the former teacher, who left teaching after just one year citing safety concerns and a lack of support when dealing with student behaviour, stressed that the case highlights how educators are often unfairly blamed for incidents involving students.

"Teachers don't have the capacity to play referee, and I don't understand why teachers should get the blame when it is clearly stated in the handbook that students shouldn't engage in any type of brawl. It is clear," she said. She recalled her difficulties in trying to separate brawling students.

"I couldn't get to them because [other] students were blocking my path, and by the time I got close enough to further verbally reprimand them, they were throwing desks and chairs and other teachers had to come over because they heard the commotion. It was happening a lot," she said.

"There is nothing that separates us from them. There's always more of them than me," she added.

Stewart Jacobs, president of the National Parent-Teacher Association of Jamaica, said there are students who are very disruptive and difficult for teachers to control.

"No matter how many years a teacher has spent at teachers' college learning the rudiments of teaching, they are not fully trained to deal with a student who is rude, disruptive, arrogant, and outright out of order," he said.

The former teacher told THE STAR that she received no formal training in de-escalation techniques.

"The goalpost is continuously moved for teachers. Not only are you expected to educate students and teach them how to be upstanding citizens, but now you're also expected to play referee? That's asking a lot, especially when it involves putting yourself in harm's way," she said.

Jacobs agreed that the case highlights the intense pressure both teachers and students face.

"If some teachers were to take it upon themselves and take students to court, a lot of schools would be empty."

The former teacher argued that if the teacher was the victim, the outcome would be different.

"It (the court) would not have ruled in the teacher's favour but [it] would have been seen as part of the job," she said.

Jacobs further expressed concern about what he described as a "rapid decline in behaviour" among students, attributing it to failures at home and within communities.

"I think a generation or two has lost that civic pride and nationalistic pride," he said. He opined that "parents are the first line of defence for our teachers and the school system".

"Good behaviour and bad behaviour are honed at home," he said, adding that some parents set bad examples for their children.

"It bothers me sometimes because parents come to the school and their behaviour is just as bad, or worse. Children live what they learn, and much of the rudeness we see in schools is what they are exposed to at home and in their communities," he said.

Jacobs acknowledged that deans of discipline play an important role in schools, but stressed the need for better teacher training.

"There needs to be a module in the curriculum specifically designed to train teachers to deal with behavioural issues, rudeness, and de-escalation," he said.