Teacher threatens to quit after being struck by student
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Whale Cove (Nov 29/00) - Trouble at Inuglak school in Whale Cove is causing problems in the community.
A student in the Grade 4/5 class hit the homeroom teacher twice. The school has tried to suspend the student, but the local district education authority (DEA) refuses to uphold the suspensions.
The teacher has threatened to leave the community due to a lack of support.
School principal Caroline Thompson says the staff member involved is an excellent teacher who deserves the community's support.
"The main problem we're dealing with is that one or two parents refuse to believe their children are doing anything wrong," says Thompson.
"Our staff needs the support of the DEA when it comes to matters like this."
Inuglak school implemented a Code of Conduct this year.
Thompson says school staff employ a number of steps to help curb bad behaviour, and suspensions are a last resort.
"Physical aggression is not acceptable. Our union has a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse of teachers.
"We don't have a big discipline problem here. We have a few kids who are bullies and their parents don't want anything done.
"We've had instances where a student was suspended, refused to leave and his parents refused to come and get him."
Thompson says parents have to realize students have a responsibility to behave properly.
"The majority of our students are very good and these parents are not helping by not supporting our Code of Conduct."
A representative of Kivalliq School Services will be travelling to Whale to address the problem.
KSS executive director Chris Purse says his first concern is supporting both the school and the DEA in dealing with the issue.
Purse adds it will be in everyone's best interest to have the teacher stay.
"Our focus at the meeting will be to bring people to consensus that the school needs to have certain rules and standards in place," says Purse.
"Regardless of the people involved, the rules apply to everybody."
Purse says it's his understanding Whale DEA members are divided over the suspension issue and some are being intimidated by more vocal members.
"The Code of Conduct is a particularly contentious issue in Whale. Hopefully, we'll resolve the issue to the satisfaction of all concerned and the staff will feel more supported than maybe they do right now."
