Posted on 04/23/2005 6:23:18 PM PDT by blam
'The disruption made teaching virtually impossible. I could not believe what I saw'
By Julie Henry, Education Correspondent
(Filed: 24/04/2005)
As the petite, middle-aged teacher shouts desperately for the 20th time for the out-of-control class to be quiet, a faint, childish boy's voice can be heard, calling out above the deafening din: "Suck ** ***, miss".
The appalling scene of classroom disorder and disrespect is just one of many captured on film for a channel Five documentary, to be screened this week, which will reignite the debate on how to tackle bad behaviour in schools.
'Sylvia Thomas', a teacher who agreed to film her classes secretly On returning to teaching after a 30-year absence, a supply teacher using the pseudonym Sylvia Thomas secretly filmed shocking examples of lessons ruined by large numbers of pupils over a three-month period.
The documentary shows children aged from 12 to 15 completely ignoring her and other staff while they shout, scream, fight, swear and wander around the classroom at will.
In one scene a full-scale fight breaks out and a 6ft tall boy is seen wielding a rubber truncheon, as the terrified teacher calls for help. In another, pupils throw books, pens and balls of paper across the room for a full 15 minutes as the teacher protests, before they declare that they "don't give a ****". In yet more disturbing scenes, a boy in a computer class is filmed accessing hard-core porn sites and then protesting his innocence, saying "I just typed in '****', miss".
The supply teacher was filming in 15 ordinary secondary schools in London and the north of England - randomly chosen by the supply agencies she contacted, and none of them considered to be failing by recent inspection reports.
Clearly shaken by her experiences, the teacher said she could not comprehend the behaviour she filmed, using a tiny camera hidden in a briefcase and a microphone disguised as a jacket button.
"I could not believe what I saw. I could not describe what I saw," she said. "The disruption that I experienced made teaching virtually impossible. These were schools in middle-class areas, not sink estates. We are not trying to single out the schools in the programme. They could be schools in any part of the country as far as I am concerned, this behaviour is so widespread."
In almost every class, the teacher is seen repeatedly trying to restore order - but her authoritative voice and friendly, no-nonsense approach makes no apparent impact on pupils.
She is ignored or challenged constantly. In one maths class, a 12-year-old who was censured for saying, "Shite, miss!" told her: "I've got just as much right as you to say what I want. I've got a right to speak up for myself."
"It was a constant battle," the teacher said. "Some pupils have got the idea that they can threaten the teacher with the police, with being summoned and sued. Teachers end up walking on eggshells, and when you do that, you can not discipline a child. The balance between the child and the teacher has swung too far in favour of the former - and they know it. The whole way they walk down the corridor says 'We are in control'."
The documentary, Classroom Chaos, to be broadcast on Wednesday, lays bare a growing tide of "low-level disruption" identified earlier this year by school inspectors as a major concern. In his annual report, David Bell, the chief inspector of schools, said that nine per cent of secondaries suffered from "persistent and unsatisfactory" behaviour - up from six per cent in 2000.
Schools staff also report increasing levels of abuse and violence. A recent survey by the Teacher Support Network, a charity that runs a helpline for school staff, found that 98 per cent of respondents had been verbally abused and 45 per cent threatened with violence. One in five had been assaulted and 38 per cent said their personal property had been damaged or defaced.
At its conference last month, the National Union of Teachers, the biggest teacher association, voted for a national charter of behaviour - with sanctions for pupils who breach it - to be drawn up in an attempt to stem the tide.
All three main political parties have pledged to improve school discipline. Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, has promised support for teachers who apply zero tolerance in the classroom.
The Government still insists that schools must take their fair share of disruptive pupils, however. The Conservatives have promised to abolish appeals against pupils exclusions and create "turnaround schools" where poorly behaved pupils can be rehabilitated. Some 21,000 new teachers and smaller classes are pledged by the Liberal Democrats.
According to Ms Thomas, however, the turnaround will not be easy. "I thought maybe their behaviour was because I was bad teacher, or because I was on supply," she said. "But I've shown the video to teacher friends and they say the same things have happened to them." She has now given up teaching for good.
The parents of this generation are elected to take a seat in our state capitols.
That was my thought as well. Not that these little turds weren't way out of line. Good Lord. This woman's classes sound like that Cheech and Chong routine "Sister Mary Elephant"...
"Young man, give me that knife."
"ThhhhhhhhWACKddddd!"*
"Thank you."
*[SFX of the knife being thrown at, and sticking in, the blackboard]
At that age, we had a lot of respect for the guy with the big wooden paddle that we so heard used right outside the classroom door.
Funny how the teachers always fight on the same side with those who fight to take away corporal punishment from the schools AND parents.
We have go to stop thinking of Education as a right. If the little Basket cant behave expel him or her.. Bring back reform schools. Just the threat will stop a great deal of the problem.
We had caning. My fourth grade teacher used a 6-foot bamboo (this was in the Philippines) so as to do three boys at a time. Into efficiency she was.
We also had pinching and slapping with rulers.
It worked for us. I support it.
These uncivilized monsters will be rearing the following generation shortly, fertility having no correlation to intelligence. They are supposed to be able to run the society and yes, they will be in charge of you at the nursing home. Is there any wonder why I pray that Jesus will return soon?
Let me repeat this post
In the UK- children used to get caned- sometimes until they bled. Children! I don't think anyone thinks that taking a cane and beating the hell out of children was a good idea. Read Roald Dahls book BOY if you think so. It was cruel.
But you had an education system who went from using corporal punishment as a deterent to using nothing- snap... just like that. There wasn't a process to it. There wasn't an alternative introduced. So now you have a whole generation of parents who are clueless- who think the school discipline should stay in the schools. And don't want to involve themselves.
There aren't too many alternatives that are this effective in that regard. Even isolation isn't as effective.
That's awful. I support caning for criminals like in Singapore. But really- caning is beating. You don't want to beat children. Can't you just spank them?!!! Or even with a ruler slap them. Caning children is just cruel!
I teach at a major university. I had to throw 6 out of 18 students out of one of my classes before it started this week. I'm lucky. I can throw them out.
I see things haven't change in England since the movie "To Sir with Love".
It sounds as though they're raising a bunch of spoiled brats over there.When a parent allows a child to do what he wants when he wants he is creating a monster.If they want to stop their kids from acting like fools they better grow a backbone.The consequences for this type of behavior has to be severe enough to deter the kids from doing it.Right now there is no punishment or it's too inadequate to make the kids think twice before acting up.It's better to teach them this now before they become adults and end up in prison.
Holy Jeeze. I had nuns when I was younger and they scared the bejeezus out of me. They wouldn't have tolerated this type of behavior.
Laralee, this is the key. Corporal punishment need not be as severe as you're describing. But frankly if it's going to do any good, discipline has to be painful---whether physically or otherwise.
"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11.
Again, it doesn't have to be physically painful, but it does have to be a consequence that the children truly want to avoid. That narrows the list quite a lot.
My daughter goes to public school. She had a piano recital last week which was held at a local Catholic high school. When we arrived at the school, there were several students still there waiting to be picked up by parents. I assume that they had been participating in various after school activities.
All of the kids were dressed just as bad, if not worse, than public high school students and the obscenities coming out of their mouths would make a sailor blush. A boy and girl were making out on the steps in front of the school in broad daylight. I was embarrassed to be there with my daughter. She doesn't behave that way and her friends don't either.
I don't see this kind of behavior at my daughter's school and it's a government school.
Through the window?
I certainly wouldnt want any child caned until they bled, However a few good licks never hurt anyone and could do a lot of good.
I don't deny there have been excesses.
I never saw a classmate with more than a bruised ego in my experiences, and the sound of someone else getting a couple of monitored whacks, was a great deterrent to others.
Just kicking them out of school creates more problems to society than teaching them that actions have consequences throughout life. They don't get that by sending them home to MTV and the internet and their buddies basement.
ALL excellent ideas! Well done!
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