MORE THAN JUST TEACHING

THE following is in reference to teachers having to suss out if some pupils had problems at home. Hence their new role as social workers...

I started teaching in the East End of London in 1965 in a comprehensive and when I became head of year, my job description was: ‘To be responsible for the mental, physical, moral and educational welfare of the 200 pupils in my overall care.’

By 1989, I had enough and so filled in my resignation form for the Inner London Education Authority. The question ‘What are your reasons for leaving?’ had a two-line box for my answer, so I had to continue around the edge of the paper.

‘I am leaving because there are not enough hours in the day for my tasks to be completed. These are the jobs that I have to do as head of year: all-in wrestler, therapist, marriage guidance counsellor, boxing referee, cleaner, 100 metre sprinter, sex therapist, member of the Flying Squad, furniture mover, psychologist, school attendance officer, social worker, medical nurse, psychiatric nurse, regimental sergeant major, fire and flood fighter, bouncer, filing clerk and priest. Oh yes, I nearly forgot, and teacher.’

There were entertaining diversions such as breaking up [pupils] massing in the playground to extract the two fighters scrapping in the middle; rounding up boys or girls from other schools who had invaded the premises looking for fights with our pupils; leading doped-up parents off the premises and helping put out fires started by girls who realised the wooden school gates were excellent kindling.