Sophie Cole, teacher, Cork
I’m from Cork and have been a primary schoolteacher in a special school for five years, but have been out of work due to an assault for the past two and a half years.
The children are not to blame. We need to support our students – every behaviour we’re seeing is a form of communication.
But we also need to support the victims of assault. We still need to acknowledge the rate as well: our survey of Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) members found 96 per cent of teachers in special schools and classes have been victims of assault. It’s a horrifying figure. We need to amend assault leave for teachers. That needs to change – and change immediately.
Arthur Geraghty, principal, Roscommon
I welcome the movement of special education into mainstream, but schools are experiencing more behavioural issues.
Children can be placed in inappropriate settings with unsatisfactory outcomes for both the child and the wider school community. Once a pupil is enrolled in a school, attempts to move a child to a more appropriate setting can be hampered by legislation around admittance. Also, support from education authorities often falls short of the need of schools.
It is critically important that extensive special education training for established teachers is provided when a special class is being established.
We need much more investment in supports and training. Proper planning, ultimately, is crucial. This would result in much improved outcomes.
Denise Davitt, primary teacher, Wexford
As teachers, we see that children’s behaviour is to do with communication or because something isn’t right with them. That is a failure of the Government to provide adequate support for children.
There’s not enough speech and language therapists or behaviour analysts. When you don’t have those supports or adequate diagnosis in place, you see the consequences in the behaviour in the classroom.
[ Reducing class sizes ‘absolutely achievable’ despite spending pressures - McEnteeOpens in new window ]
As teachers, we are working with children. If we get assaulted, we lose our income and risk losing our jobs. Again, it’s not the fault of the children; it’s the fact that they are not adequately supported within the education system.
Laura Darragh, primary teacher, Kildare
I am a special-education teacher and support children with autism and complex needs. There are daily assaults with students with complex needs.
Many staff are now wearing bite jackets, bite sleeves and hats to protect our hair from being pulled. That happens in a lot of other special schools – it’s to protect us from children who are not being properly supported.
It’s not the child’s fault – it’s a lack of resources, clinical support, staff shortages and buildings that are not fit-for-purpose.
I’m in an amazing school, we’re very proactive and every student is supported, but it’s still not enough. When I was last assaulted, I looked for assault leave but was told I exhausted it due to a previous incident. Assault leave is capped in four-year roll-over periods. It shouldn’t be. We all do our best to support students – teachers and special needs assistants.
