Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

The Teachers' Union of Ireland is to press the Department of Education for reforms to assault leave Shutterstock/maroke

'Some teachers get assaulted more than once a week': Review demanded over attacks at schools

Unions have demanded that better supports are available to teachers who have been assaulted by students.

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS are looking for greater supports if they have been assaulted by their students.

Motions passed by two unions this week demand reviews of the legislation underpinning assault leave as a way of protecting them.

Teacher Laura O’Sullivan said some teachers face “being assaulted more than once a year and sometimes more than once a week” but find themselves limited by the amount of leave they can take to recover.

“We’re told about wellbeing the whole time but when it comes to staff it seems to be quite tokenistic, especially if you’re assaulted at work,” she told The Journal.

O’Sullivan said schools are having to deal with widespread changes in society which impact on classrooms, from teachers suffering online homophobic bullying by students to the changes she has experienced directly.

The motion covered secondary school teachers across all schools. 

O’Sullivan, who is based in Cork, said that based on her own experience working with a unit for children with complex needs, she had particular concerns around supports for teachers in that role.

“You can have lots of severe challenging behaviours, and a really volatile space, and that has to be accepted,” she said.

“It is a minority of students, and it is through no fault of their own but this is something that is happening to teachers,” she said.

At this week’s Easter conferences, members of O’Sullivan’s Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) along with the ASTI (Association of Secondary Teachers) agreed unanimously to demand a review of assault leave and pressure the Department of Education to provide new supports.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland members want better terms for when teachers have been assaulted at school.

Currently, the maximum leave available for assault is three months at full pay in a rolling four-year period.

This may be extended for another three months in cases of serious assault, and O’Sullivan said that teachers should not have to use their sick leave entitlement once they have used the maximum leave available under the current scheme.

In exceptional cases, where a significant period of hospitalisation is required or if subsequent assaults have taken place on the same teacher, the leave may be extended for a further period, not exceeding three months, at full pay.

The maximum allowed is six months in a rolling four-year period.

O’Sullivan said that leave was halved during austerity.

“It seems unfair when it’s half of what you could take in the past, it’s not taking into account what some teachers are facing.”

She added that there is a fear among younger teachers especially to take leave if they’ve been assaulted. “It happened to me and it’s happening to others: you’re new to a job and don’t want to create any problems. You just want to keep your head down so that you can get permanency in your school.”

Meanwhile, at their annual congress, ASTI members voted for greater legal protections for teachers who are mentally traumatised by online, homophobic, or sexist abuse from their students.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
84 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Big Beats
    Favourite Big Beats
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 4:16 PM

    People are terrified to upset the landlords that they won’t apply for credit for fear of non-tax complient landlords kicking them out.

    151
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy C
    Favourite Paddy C
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 4:21 PM

    Have to find a house to rent that might be somehow affordable first,like a needle in a haystack,still though government keep increasing population with nowhere for people to live, homelessness higher than ever at the moment, brilliant

    83
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Kevin Kerr
    Favourite Kevin Kerr
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 4:38 PM

    @Paddy C: There are an estimated 400k existing renters that are eligible for this tax credit.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paddy C
    Favourite Paddy C
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 6:17 PM

    @SYaxJ2Ts: marvellous

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute BigEd
    Favourite BigEd
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 3:53 PM

    If you do not pay tax you will not get it…. Most of the renters are on the doll or pay little to no tax… Or landlord is not simply registered and they are victims of the system..you pick one….

    Ps: i got the full credit

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Somers
    Favourite Paul Somers
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 5:20 PM

    @BigEd: I rent, paye, actually I lease a room in a house share, so can we apply for this on the basis of leasing a room as opposed to renting

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh
    Favourite Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 4:03 PM

    No surprise to see FFG support FFG. There was never anything between these parties and Golfgate showed us the irrelevance of political screamers in a fancy building in Kildare Street. At least the rioters showed us the cosy narrative of Martin and his ilk, who thought their pontificating was, and remains, their own illusion. McEnteen wants to bring in tougher minimum sentences which will do little to zero on the real issues which is the haves looking down their noses on the rest of Ireland, thinking a woke administration will keep the sheep at bay. Now we all know from Martin’s support for a hand-me-down politician from Mearh that we live in a left dictatorship where “democracy” is the weapon of choice. Control the narrative and you control the sheep. Goebbels learnt it easily enough.

    54
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jack Dermody
    Favourite Jack Dermody
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 10:08 PM

    @Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh: Nice rant. You said nothing about the topic..

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Áine G
    Favourite Áine G
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 5:38 PM

    I can’t claim it as my landlord hasn’t registered with the RTB. Nothing I can do.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 5:46 PM

    @Áine G: report your landlord to the RTB and stop whining

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P.J. Nolan
    Favourite P.J. Nolan
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 6:15 PM

    @Paul:
    And then the landlord decides to sell……

    45
    See 6 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lydia Mcloughlin
    Favourite Lydia Mcloughlin
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 7:50 PM

    @P.J. Nolan: I hear though it’ll be years before it can gets to be sold! Three years a cpl have been living at a friends house down the country, not paid rent since 2019. Can’t evict them to sell the house as they have nowhere to go, too expensive!

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P.J. Nolan
    Favourite P.J. Nolan
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 9:25 PM

    @Lydia Mcloughlin:
    I work in the sector.
    3 years would be extremely unusual, in fact I have never heard of it.
    9 months would average, sometimes a year or so and often €5,000 plus in legal fees plus loss of rental income

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary M
    Favourite Mary M
    Report
    Nov 26th 2023, 7:22 AM

    @Áine G: plenty you can do … report said landlord! Bosh!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Nov 26th 2023, 8:58 AM

    @P.J. Nolan: Landlord has to issue a notice along with a statutory declaration of intent to sell.
    Once notice expires he has to open a case with the RTB to end the tenancy. This will take a year at current processing rates.
    The tenant can appeal without grounds, which will add about 6 months waiting for a full second hearing with a 3 person panel of RTB adjudicators.
    Of the RTB rules in his favour, then he will still have to apply to a District Court for an eviction order if the tenant refuses to leave. This will add approx 10 more months.

    So, you don’t know the procedure and how the decks are stacked against law abiding landlords.
    You’re content to spoutthe SF IRA propaganda!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margret Walsh
    Favourite Margret Walsh
    Report
    Nov 26th 2023, 6:10 PM

    @Áine G: plenty you can do actually. Report him to RTB thats what they are there for and stop whinging !

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lydia Mcloughlin
    Favourite Lydia Mcloughlin
    Report
    Dec 2nd 2023, 11:39 AM

    @P.J. Nolan: Well it is fact that this is the case here. Those in situ known to guards (if you are in the business you could look it up). Has been to court excuses such as can’t move out and can’t afford it accepted.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Magnificent Mongoose
    Favourite Magnificent Mongoose
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 7:24 PM

    They probably can’t navigate the absolutely awful revenue website.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P.J. Nolan
    Favourite P.J. Nolan
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 9:27 PM

    @Magnificent Mongoose:
    If you think the Revenue one is bad, you should try the RTB website l.
    It’s so bad they have put an apology on the front page

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Allo Allo
    Favourite Allo Allo
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 7:32 PM

    There are a lot of renters tax evading in different ways, they do not claim any tax back for fear of bringing attention from tax man

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Graham Dunne
    Favourite Graham Dunne
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 8:03 PM

    My rent was increased on the basis I’d be getting it, thereby nullifying it. Pity they don’t just hand it out as an actual rent supplement and weren’t so busy hiding it from us instead…shrugs…

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P.J. Nolan
    Favourite P.J. Nolan
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 9:28 PM

    @Graham Dunne:
    Do you think your landlord wouldn’t have increased the rent either way?

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Graham Dunne
    Favourite Graham Dunne
    Report
    Nov 26th 2023, 11:53 PM

    @Peter Murray: Rightfully so? It’s supposed to be a dig out in tough times for tenants- not landlords. But fair play to you. I’m sure you could do with the few bob.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 5:47 PM

    Any tenant that hasn’t registered is a dope.

    Stop blaming everyone else for your problems.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Temp Stuff
    Favourite Temp Stuff
    Report
    Nov 25th 2023, 3:30 PM

    How?

    4
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds