|
in SCHOOL
Susan had been running the anti-bullying programme in the school for two years. She was very concerned to reduce the level of stress and violence in the school. The children had enough problems with poverty and parental breakdown at home; they needed the school to be a safe place. That was why she was finding this interview with Damian particularly difficult. The Headteacher had asked her to break the news that they were going to recommend exclusion for Damian because of his recent behaviour. Damian was increasingly difficult to manage in class, predictions for exam passes were poor and there was a school inspection due in a month. Damian had been bullied lower down the school, now he was the bully. Once one problem was sorted out, he picked on another child. His parents had split up two years ago and Damian was holding the home together while his Mother worked. Susan knew he was angry and needed help beyond what the school could give.
Sat in the interview room on the admin corridor Susan looked at the slumped figure of Damian as he absorbed the news. She realised that, as far as Damian was concerned, she was just another bully. She recalled a magazine article from student days that asked the question "should a Christian school crucify the lowly?" It struck her that she was doing that right now with Damian. The awful thing was that she had no choice. She was not allowed to look at the bigger picture in front of her and address the whole person. She had to assess his intellectual performance, his head and not his heart. Despite what the school mission statement said about the whole person, when it came to the crunch the top three inches of his head were all that mattered. As she delivered the news to Damian it occurred to her that she too was being bullied by forces that robbed her of the ability to respond in a balanced and healthy way to the needs of young people. No wonder so many of her profession were considering resignation in the next few years.
School exclusions rose by 400% during the 1990s
83% of those were males in secondary school
The GCSE pass rate (5 Grade A-Cs ) has almost doubled in the last 20 years
51% of young people in school will have been bullied at some stage.
One third of newly qualified teachers fail to enter the profession
(Teacher Training Authority Figures)
Retirement from stress has increased by 150% during the 1990s
(NAS/UWT figures)
All other figures: Key Data on Adolescence Coleman 1999 |
