Should a teacher put his/her hands on a student? Absolutely not. If a student is aggressive with a teacher, does the teacher have a right to retaliate? No way!
But what about the aggressive student? He gets to boast how he helped sack a teacher. We are talking about a teacher who is likely to have a family and a mortgage. A teacher who would find it almost impossible to get another teaching job.
Whenever a teacher receives a punishment for retaliation , the offending student requires an equivalent punishment.
In this case – expulsion!
A teacher was sacked for grabbing a pupil who threw a milkshake over him even though nobody made a complaint about the incident, a tribunal has heard.
After being soaked by the drink and suffering a torrent of abuse from the 16-year-old boy, Robert Cox held the teenager’s arms and pinned him to his chair.
Weeks later, governors sacked Mr Cox, claiming his behaviour was to blame because he had “frustrated” the teenager and escalated the incident.
The married father-of-two’s 13-year teaching career has been ended by the episode at Bemrose School in Derby.
The 59-year-old said he had been left “unemployable” and has twice attempted suicide.
He told a tribunal his treatment sent out a worrying message to teachers and pupils and launched a scathing attack on the management of the school.
“In all other public buildings you see posters saying abusive language and behaviour will not be tolerated,” he said.
“That is not the case at Bemrose. Instead, if you act within the school guidelines to protect yourself, to protect other students and to prevent an escalation of the situation, you are penalised.”
Call me naive, but I am very sympathetic to this teacher. Whilst I am very much opposed to his reaction, I too would have been rattled if a student acted like that towards me.
That same student shouldn’t get the satisfaction of staying on at the school. His aggression and unacceptable behaviour is symptomatic of a system which is soft on unruly students and brutal on unsupported teachers.
Click on the link to read Perhaps Teachers Should Just Wear a Target Sign
Click on the link to read As Long as Teachers are Unhappy, Students Will Be Too
Click on the link to read What is the Punishment for Beating up a Teacher?
Click on the link to read Bullying is Acceptable when it’s Directed to a Teacher
Tags: abusive language and behaviour will not be tolerated, Bemrose School in Derby, Education, governors sacked Mr Cox, nobody made a complaint about the incident, Robert Cox, Robert Cox arm pinned, Robert Cox CCTV, Robert Cox fired, Robert Cox milkshake, Teacher milkshake fired, teacher was sacked for grabbing a pupil who threw a milkshake over him
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