Bruises testify to classroom perils

The Dominion Post — 25 September 2007

Judy Firkins has been teaching for 35 years, and has never seen classrooms as bad as they are today. The diminutive primary school teacher says violence and disruptive behaviour make her feel vulnerable, and she has had the bruises - inflicted by a six-year-old - to back up her fear.

"One little boy last year, he was angry and he was aggressive and he just fisticuffed me." Ms Firkins teaches at Jean Batten Primary School in Mangere, South Auckland, where, another day, she was hit in the head with a block. "Thirty-five years (teaching) and I've got to admit I think it is getting worse. You are completely alone in your own classroom and it gets quite dangerous in there at times."

She has had to restrain pupils more than once. She knows the dangers, both physical and legal, and fears that one day a parent will object to her getting physical with their child and lay assault charges.

The veteran teacher recalls a recent incident in which a pupil began hitting other children over the head with his schoolbag, a situation that gave her few options. "I had to physically hold him," she says. "Eventually I sat him down just by holding him, and I calmed him down.

"That puts you in a terribly vulnerable situation. One day a parent could get to the stage where they take you to court because you handled, restrained their child."