Page 4136 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 24 October 2018
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announcing funding of over $7 million to start on the work. The government then set about establishing the implementation committee to ensure that progress was made.
The issues that were the catalyst for the Shaddock expert panel review are at the heart of the latest WorkSafe investigation. The Shaddock review identified that ACT school leaders believed that the proportion of students with complex needs and challenging behaviours was increasing for a variety of reasons. It identified that other students were threatened by physical violence and distressing situations. Students with a disability were also affected by other students’ behaviour. Teachers noted instances of violence and destructive behaviour and concerns about their own ability to respond effectively to protect student safety.
The Shaddock report reflected competing perceptions of supporting the right for every child to attend a mainstream school, against some parents’ concerns about their own child’s learning being disrupted and their physical safety threatened. It also identified gaps in policy and training, and it proposed developing a range of options for primary school students with very challenging behaviours.
It suggested the development of policies and procedures for the placement of students in learning support units and the development of a cohesive strategy for alternative education programs. The Shaddock report dedicated a whole chapter to protecting student and staff safety. It suggested that staff needed clear guidance, training and a practical understanding of effective strategies. I note in passing that the report also proposed the engagement of 20 school psychologists. Madam Speaker, that was three years ago.
In October 2016 the ACT got a new education minister. In 2017 WorkSafe started their investigation and in July 2017, in what appears to be too little too late, the Education Directorate thought it necessary to have an occupational violence management plan. The minister calls it nation leading. The fact that it resulted in an increase in reporting of teacher-directed workplace violence may be a good thing. But it overwhelmingly demonstrates that, despite the Shaddock report, despite the 50 recommendations, despite the implementation working group, despite the additional training, despite the millions of dollars given to fixing this issue, the system is still broken and previous strategies are not working.
We still have teachers who are in mental health facilities because the system failed to protect them. Frankly, the teachers’ own union has little to be proud of if it took three years and a WorkSafe intervention to get protection for their members. If I were a member, I would be very disappointed at the lack of support.
Where were they when Melanie reported injuries on 34 separate occasions and was only given compression bandages as the best option to protect herself? Where were they then? I am not for one minute suggesting that a quick fix lies just around the corner. It does not. But like so many current problems in education, we have to first acknowledge the problem. We have to accept that we have not got it right, and I am not convinced the minister knows how to do that. The facts are that we have a significant and growing number of young students with challenging needs and
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