Parents Behaving Bady
You’ll have read during the holidays of some schools issuing restraining orders against angry, bullying, abusive and threatening parents. The implication seeming to be that schools either cause this behaviour or should be more tollerant of it.
What’s the agenda here...just another attack on state education? State schools aren’t safe for your child because mad parents are running amok!
Parents Victoria is reported as describing these individuals as “assertive parents”. I’m affraid I’m not so generous. Abusive, aggressive parents need to be made aware of the responsibilities that go with the rights they enjoy. And the rights of others. There are clear lines of communication if a parent has a genuine grievance: right up to the Secretary of the Department, so there is no excuse for this sort of behaviour. [see our Communicating with your School brochure ]
Schools are legally obliged to provide a safe workplace for their staff. They are also now obliged to provide a safe environment for students and visitors to the school. As a community we should expect nothing less.
Parents who behave in a manner which jeopardises this have no place in our schools and need to be dealt with promptly and effectively by whatever means the school deems appropriate in the circumstances.
Parents who are drug or alcohol dependent, parents with mental illnesses that present as violent and anti-social behaviours and just plain bad individuals probably deserve our sympathy/empathy/support. However it is not the school’s role to address these issues.
Let the Health, Welfare or Justice systems deal with these people and let schools get on with Education in a safe environment.