Teacher stabbing accused a 'good little boy'
By MIKE WATSON and MATT CALMAN
The Dominion Post
05:00 12/05/2010
The Te Puke boy accused of stabbing a teacher has been brought up by extended family because his father is in prison, a relative says.
The boy's family are searching for answers......
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3684163/Teacher-stabbing-accused-a-good-little-boyseems to me that answer is way past useby date
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Teachers 'need more powers to protect themselves' NZPA
Last updated 09:04 11/05/2010
Teachers need more power to protect themselves as schools become increasingly violent, the Secondary Principals Association says.
Te Puke High School maths teacher Steve Hose, 53, was yesterday stabbed four times in the neck and shoulder with a 10cm kitchen knife by a 13-year-old student at the end of class.
Weapons, such as knives and screwdrivers were increasingly common in schools, association president Patrick Walsh told Radio New Zealand.
Teachers needed greater resources to protect themselves, he said.
Education Minister Anne Tolley today said measures where in place to reduce school violence.
A $45 million action plan launched last year was helping reduce disruptive behaviour, she said.
Post Primary Teachers' Association president Kate Gainsford said the measures were effective at a primary level but violence in secondary schools continued to be a problem.
"School is supposed to be a safe sanctuary," she said.
"There's some serious work required."
Mr Hose was not seriously injured in yesterday's attack and was released from Tauranga Hospital in the afternoon.
The student who stabbed him was interviewed by police and put into the custody of Child, Youth and Family pending a family group conference, Western Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Mike Clement said.
The incident occurred in a classroom in front of about 23 students.
Mr Hose did not lose consciousness and was able to give instructions to the students.
The students and seven teachers were interviewed by police and offered counselling through Victim Support and the school's own support programmes, Mr Clement said.
"The teacher was just sitting there helping the students and then the bell rang, he just came over and stabbed him in the back four times," one student told Radio New Zealand.
Mr Hose was said to be a well-liked teacher; he was rated 3.8 out of a possible five on the controversial ratemyteachers.com website.
Police yesterday completed a scene examination of the classroom and recovered the weapon.
It was not yet clear what prompted the stabbing.
Te Puke High School has more than 1000 students from year nine to 13.
Principal Alan Liddle described the decile five school on its website as "a friendly, future-focused school, which aims to provide quality learning experiences for each and every student".
The stabbing was the second of a teacher in just over a year.
In March last year, Korean student Tae Won Chung, 17, stabbed teacher David Warren in the back in front of 20 other students at Avondale College.
He was jailed for 18 months and ordered to pay $10,000 to his victim.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3679772/Teachers-need-more-powers-to-protect-themselves~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teachers attacked by the hundred
By NATHAN BEAUMONT - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 08/03/2010
Hundreds of teachers have received ACC-funded treatment after being assaulted at school.
Principals are shocked by the figure and are demanding immediate action to make schools safer.
Some school staff now fear breaking up fights in case pupils have weapons, and others refuse to do lunchtime duty alone.
A teacher injured during a school attack says that staff will always be at risk from "nutters".
Figures issued to The Dominion Post under the Official Information Act show that 442 teachers needed ACC-funded treatment after assaults at school during 2008 and 2009, costing about $413,000.
Latest Education Ministry figures show there were a further 335 pupil assaults on teachers in 2008 that did not require ACC-funded treatment.
The most expensive individual claim was for a 2008 assault, worth about $124,000. ACC refused to provide details about the incident.
The two largest assault claims last year were about $40,000 and $45,000.
A secondary school teacher seriously injured in a classroom attack last year fears he will never make a full recovery. He has spinal injuries, suffers constant pain and tires easily.
"I am able to work only part-time hours because of the injury I sustained to my spinal cord. I have a pronounced limp in the leg that was paralysed and my neurosurgeon cannot say for sure that I will ever make a full recovery. Some situations still trigger flashbacks of the incident.
"As an avid sportsman, my lifestyle has had to undergo many changes which I am having trouble accepting.
"I think anyone in a job that fronts the public is at risk from the nutters that exist in our society, people who lack awareness of the damage they can inflict or lack conscience."
The Post Primary Teachers Association, a union representing about 18,000 teachers and principals, says that unless classrooms are made safer, teachers will leave the profession.
"It is a serious issue and I can't see the problem going away, but there are no easy answers," spokeswoman Jill Gray said.
Some teachers were too scared to do lunchtime duty alone and had resorted to supervising in pairs.
"I find it very sad that it has come to this, but hopefully these figures really highlight the issue and get some action started."
Secondary Principals Association president Peter Gall said there was anecdotal evidence of more fights between pupils involving weapons. It had reached the stage where teachers now had to consider their own safety before stepping in to break up fights.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said assaults of any kind on teachers were "completely unacceptable".
She hoped a $45 million Education Ministry-led project would help deal with behavioural problems in schools.
More than 5000 teachers from low-decile schools will have training in handling children who lash out or misbehave in the classroom.
In total, teachers made 9567 ACC claims during 2008 and 2009, totalling about $6.7 million. There are 93,000 registered teachers. Most of the claims were a result of lifting objects and straining muscles.
ACC costs relating to an injury covered a range of entitlements, including treatment, rehabilitation, medication, carers and home help.
An ACC spokeswoman said there were no specific injury-prevention programmes aimed at teachers. Most of its targeted injury prevention workplace programmes were for high-risk industries such as forestry, agriculture or construction.
there's a bit more at
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3416051/Teachers-attacked-by-the-hundredSeems to me whoever walks taller and carries the biggest stick wins.
AND a lot more at
http://xtranewscommunity2.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,6902.0.html