Do you blame me if I leave my profession?

You have a point here. It protects the teacher! However does the pupils learn to socialise with each other in a virtual class? Do they learn polite manners how to behave in class, how to wait for their turn, how to use polite language, how to address their superiors in a virtual classroom?

Home schooling is becoming more and more popular here and I know they have many social activities they can join to get the necessary socialization. I learned manners at home and in church. The only thing social I learned at school was how to survive bullies.

At least now we are more aware about this social problem. Bullying seems to be a problem world wide, in various countries. However I do believe that if bullying does not happen at school, it might happen in other social activities too. Although these activities can be more monitored by adults and thus leave little space for bullies to act.

At nine years of age I did not even dare to look in the teacher's eye let alone trying to injure him or her with a pen knife.

Binggaling thanks for asking this type of questions. Hope beautfactor will answer. We had a case in my school where a teacher was punched in the face by a student. The student was suspended for a month. The teacher was transferred to another school. The student ended up being the hero of the school. As a teacher I felt anger that our profession is not being treated right. Would you punch a policeman and get scotch free?

HI Derek, I share most of your views expressed here on school violence and respect. Do you think that corporal punishment instils respect in children to their superiors?

Hi Pergammano, thanks for your keen observation and to the point comments you made on Derek's contribution. How do you think we can reverse this "ME" mentality? Is it possible to nurture "traditional" values that help us later on in life?

Derek...I was watching a CBC program the other nite, dedicated to the problems of youth today, and there were several good points. The children of today are truly spoiled...the end all, be all...everything in the home environment is geared to their comfort and happiness. They are put on a pedestal...and told the world is their oyster...sorta given a get out of jail "FREE" card..a carte blanche to do anything they want or wish with no consequences, as there is NO WHERE any form of discipline can be implemented. I grew up with corporal punishment..and knowing I was just a little cog in the big wheel of the family....NOT THE ONLY COG in the wheel of the family/world! I also grew up with deep spiritual values, of which today still guide me. Respect has fled the open door...replaced with a "me" culture! The only disrespect I entertained in any form, was in my mind..NEVER would I have been allowed to act out...nor want to for fear of consequences. You raise a multitude of valuable points. Cheers!

Thanks for being understanding! I would not call it a day for now! I am a fighter....but if things worsen and I get an opportunity to move on in my career, yes I would think about it seriously

It seems that both of us hail from the same profession. Up till now I had few cases where I had serious misbehaviour problems. The first serious case was in my inital stages of my career. A student who was expelled from a private school (usually they are expelled for a reason because no private school likes to lose money out of a student). He was a troublemaker, had cases with the police already. My colleagues had the same kind of experiences with this particular student and finally the headmaster himself took action and expelled the student for the rest of the scholastic year. (This student threatened the head besides using vulgar language). Yes I do agree with you that when I see a pupil with bad behaviour, in most cases 99.99999% the parents are to blame. Either they are non existent (one of them has left home and the onus is on the mother only and she cannot cope with her kids) or else they approve of what their kids do. I don't foresee an easy solution how to prevent such violent behaviour from our schools....Do you?

Thanks for your valid contribution. I enjoyed reading about your experience both in the health and in the education sector. Your experience is an eye opener for all of us here, at least for me that I am in the education sector. Once when I was still a student teacher, I touched a student's ear "gently" warning him for his misbehaviour. Next morning his mother was at headmaster's office. From that day onwards I learned a thorough lesson, never to touch any student at all cost! Sometimes I have your same feelings.... and end up saying.. things were not like this when I started teaching 15 years ago.

Unfortunately not. I am all for people being allowed their civil liberties and deplore the idea of anyone being oppressed etc but i think the balance of the law has tilted way too far in the pursuit of this. So many people are screaming assault and demanding compensation that everyone is wary of correcting anyone. A few years back, a child ran into a classroom where i was working for the day.I put my arm out to slow him down but was careful to move it so that i would not make any contact. Nonetheless, he threw himself to the ground and began screaming that I'd broken his arm. When I said that he knew full well i hadn't touched him, he stood up, shrugged and said, "Well, it was worth a try". I only work occasional days in schools now and also work in the health sector... where we are subjected to frequent verbal and sometimes physical abuse by people of all ages, race and background. It is claimed that there is a "zero tolerance" for this type of behaviour but it is rare for action to be taken. Do you know,I suddenly feel very old because i can almost hear myself saying "It wasn't like this in MY day...." When did civilized (& I use the term loosely) society lose its respect for humanity?

I am not in favour of corporal punishment. But I am in favour of discipline and that kids have to follow and abide by the school rules. If they cannot do that now, how are they going to obey their superiors and respect them at the place of work?

In Malta it is the other way round unfortunately. I am worried when we receive a student from a private school. Most probably he would be an unruly student who is blacklisted from private schools and thus he ends in a state school.

Hi pergammano, You have raised a very interesting point which I subscribe to. Recently I was in hospital with my wife. When we were at the emergency ward, a father attacked a doctor and a security guard after the doctor advised him to quit smoking because of his asmathic son. So yes it seems that no profession is free of violence.

It's not only you that is disappointed with today's young generation. I believe that our youths are the product of society. They are what they are because we helped them to develop that way. We were not there at home for them when they returned back from school We were not there when they needed a smack on their bum for any wrong doing....

Thank you...for responding. I sound very disgruntled in my comments...and tend to be very disgruntled with the Youngsters of today...and I did a long diatribe in response to derek, in your discussion! I grew up with corporal punishment and spirituality....and my confession, is that SO DID my son! He is 29...and still today, I get compliments on his respect...NOt only of his elders, but of his peers! And he has NO qualms taking some-one to task, if the dis-respect or swear in my presence! Hundreds of generations...until "Free Love" grew up with discipline, and corporal punishment...and a HUGE dose of spirituality...few resorted to "warfare" on each other. Sadly enough, those that did, we "hero worship, today. Once again, thank you for responding. Cheers!

Thanks for sharing. Home schooling is not much in common here It is a pity that motivated kids are home schooled without having the chance of social interaction.

Socialization is one of the things the parents must write to the state to explain how they are getting the opportunity to interact with peers. Most either are in after school sports with their facilitating school or go to clubs in the evenings or on weekends. For example, they can go to a gymn like the YMCA, or they can go to 4H (animal h is one of the H's where they discuss what they do with an animal of their choosing and then they put the animal or about the animal on display at the Fair), Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, religious Sunday School, or one of the Home Schooling clubs. Often the Home Schooling parents and students come together for an activity or to learn more about home schooling options. Each area has a Home Schooling club. There are 5 to 10 families in each home schooling club. Whoever leads the club that night has one activity for the parents and another for the kids or one with everyone together. Like a teaching technique for the parents and arts and crafts for the kids, then maybe at the end everyone practices the new teaching technique with the kids. There is also an outside of school disabilities club where children get to socialize with other kids with similar disabilities as well as the regular home schooling club. It's NY State, they've got this stuff covered. They've been having parents with home schooling for many, many years, decades. The parents have to explain what they do with the kids all the time. They have to explain why they want to home school in the first place and their kids must constantly pass tests at the level of the school or better to remain home schooled. There is a lot of pressure on the parents to prove that they are worthy of home schooling their children and not making them miss out on anything the kids want to do. They must have art, music, home ec., physcal education, etc. anything their regular school provides. Many state that the regular school does not provide a religious education and they have an unusual religion not covered by a religious school nearby or by one they can afford. That's one reason. Another could be that the child is developing bad behaviors at school by hanging out with the wrong crowd, example: 3/4 of students friends gave gone to jail and s/he thinks that's cool. So they must justify the need and prove they can do it.

That should be student's friends have gone to jail. The parents have to fill out as much - if not more- paperwork as a regular school teacher. Attendance, grades, school lunch financial aid (if applicable), etc. Mostly college graduates, former military, and well-educated (at least a 2 year degree) farmers are doing the home schooling thing here.

I agree that parents are the first educators in the life of a child. Teachers can influence their students up to a certain extent. Social factors, what happens at home and outside the school plays a major part in the formation of a child's character.

I agree that schools should be a safe haven for staff and students God forbids that such a tragic accident happens to anybody of us May God grant solace to those who have already passed from this ordeal

It's sad to hear of such horrible news. Schools should be a safe place both for teachers and students. Violence should never be tolerated at all costs whoever does it whether he is an adult or a minor. How would you feel if you have children attending in this particular school?

I would not have felt comfortable either although no school in the world seems to be free of violence

I have asked myself that question and I am not sure what I would do...I would not be comfortable sending my daughter there, that's for sure...

I do agree with you that home is the first school Children receive their first education from their parents

i hope parents would realize that, because you see i hear a lot of parents say that times with children now are different. i would usually respond as: only because you allowed it. that is the difference now with what is BEFORE, today, everything we need in at the tip of our fingers. anything we need is instantly there. technology is more advance, but as to values, respect, the concept of morally and so on is still the same. only for convenience parents would tend to be so lineament to their children, whatever the child wants they would give, to avoid conflict without realizing that even conflict can be an avenue for a better understanding. i hope early on in the child's life, parents should allow children to understand and live good values, respect, the concept of right and wrong and learning humility and living it. for as they grow, they transmit these values to their children and to their children's children. Godspeed ronald...

I am sure you are not aspiring to be in the teaching profession than! But you have raised good points one need to think about when choosing a career.

I do agree with your line of thought beating with a stick.... errrrrrrr I mean being financially penalised that they need to pay for additional staff. However schooling in Malta is compulsary and free in state schools. How are you going to force parents to pay for something that up till now its still free?

Well, free if they present their child in a suitable condition not free if they haven't done their bit all the best urban

Thanks for your appreciation....

It would be a good idea of introducing self defence classes in the university course for teachers:)

I would add their parents and other person in authority as well.