Four out of 10 teachers attacked by pupils in United Kingdom
A plain cloth police officer (left) holds a stick which was produced as an evidence which a Form Two student of AIC Ogada Mixed secondary School used to serious beat his teacher. Accompanying the police officer is the rogue form two student (in uniform) and his relatives. Four out of 10 teachers attacked by pupils in United Kingdom. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Seventy-seven per cent of those contacted by the ATL teachers union said they had been pushed or shoved, and 50 per cent were kicked or had an object thrown at them.
- Nine out of 10 staff had dealt with challenging behaviour such as swearing and shouting.
- Some children had chaotic home lives; nevertheless, it was shocking that 43 per cent of education professionals had to deal with physical violence in the classroom.
- It was shocking that 43 per cent of education professionals had to deal with physical violence in the classroom.
An assistant at a Bedfordshire primary school was stabbed in the head with a pencil, and a teacher at a Suffolk secondary academy was sprayed in the face with deodorant.
At a secondary school in Cheshire, a pupil hurled a chair against a support worker’s leg.
These incidents were reported in a survey of 1,250 school staff which showed that four out of 10 teachers have experienced violence from pupils in the past year. The survey covered England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not Scotland.
Seventy-seven per cent of those contacted by the ATL teachers union said they had been pushed or shoved, and 50 per cent were kicked or had an object thrown at them.
Nine out of 10 staff had dealt with challenging behaviour such as swearing and shouting.
LACK OF DISCIPLINE
Asked about the cause of children’s violence, teachers blamed lack of discipline at the home, pupils’ emotional problems and inadequate mental health care in some areas.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the union, said: “A lack of funds for social services and mental health services means pupils are at risk and school staff are being left to plug the gaps in social care.” Some children, she said, had chaotic home lives; nevertheless, it was shocking that 43 per cent of education professionals had to deal with physical violence in the classroom.
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Anything remotely spiritual is generally pooh-poohed in our increasingly secular society, but many were left groping for an explanation for Sonia Burton’s out-of-this-world experience.
Sonia, aged 50 and mother of four grown children, collapsed from a massive heart attack at a bingo hall in Ashington, where she worked. For almost 56 minutes she had no pulse while paramedics worked frantically to restart her heart.
Sonia said: “The only thing I remember is my husband John, who died in 2004, coming to me and saying, ‘It’s not your time, Sonia, go back to the children.”
Medics raced Sonia to a local hospital by which time she was breathing. She was then transferred to a specialist unit where she underwent life-saving surgery to have a stent fitted. Eight days later she was back home.
“Every day I think how incredible it is that I am still here,” she said.
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Student Jordon Cox, 18, from Brentwood, Essex, was in Sheffield in the north of England for a lecture and found that a train ticket home would cost more than he wanted to pay. So he decided to fly.
He took a bus from Sheffield to Derby, then another bus to East Midlands Airport. From there he flew to Berlin in Germany, transferring onto a flight to Stanstead airport in Essex.
The two flights, bus fares and lunch cost him £44.07 (Sh6,485), while the train trip plus bus fares and a sandwich would have cost £51.79 (Sh7,620).
It took him 12 hours to get home compared to three-and-a-half hours by train. But Jordon said, “I also got to visit Berlin.”
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Everybody knows about DNA these days, except maybe our burglars, who never seem to read the papers.
Trevor Sewell broke into a house in Newcastle and ransacked the place while the owner was out. When he left, he forgot his crowbar and his hat. Police tested them for DNA and promptly picked up Sewell, who had a record of 132 offences. Result: Two years, seven months in jail.
Kevin Hordon used cutting equipment to get through the door of a house in Gateshead. Once inside he stole a pay-per-view meter filled with cash. Forensic officers found DNA samples on the door and promptly arrested Hordon, who had also broken into an Asian restaurant. Result: three years, eight months.
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There is a widespread belief that the most tight-fisted people in Britain are Scots followed by Yorkshiremen. This is a dreadful slander, of course, and the following story is a total lie.
A very rich American needed surgery, but he had a rare blood type and his aides scoured the world for a match. They found one eventually in a farmer in the highlands of Scotland.
Urgent appeals were made to the Scot to donate a pint of his blood in case of need, and eventually and reluctantly, he agreed. The operation went well and the grateful millionaire sent the farmer a gleaming, new Lamborghini and a diamond necklace for his wife.
A little later, the American needed corrective surgery and this time the Scotsman donated his blood with alacrity. In return, he received a box of chocolates plus a £5 shopping voucher for his wife. Aghast, he protested to the rich man that last time he had sent a sports car and a string of gems.
Replied the millionaire: “Aye, laddie, but now I have Scottish blood in my veins.”
Next week: The untrue story of the tight-fisted Yorkshireman.
