Teachers can’t be social workers too

HEAD-TEACHERS who exclude troubled pupils stand accused of neglecting their duty to some of the most vulnerable children in our society.

The statistics are clear: children who get kicked out of school are the ones most likely to get involved in criminal behaviour and gang violence.

But is it really the job of schools to deal with these problems? Why are teachers now also expected to act as social workers? Especially since the current climate of political correctness means they have very few effective disciplinary tools at their disposal.

A friend of mine, a teacher who worked extensively with very troubled children, used to get home covered in so much spittle that he had to put his suit in the washing machine every night. And yet if he so much as laid a hand on one of his abusers, he risked prosecution.

Schools should be places of learning, not rehabilitation.

That is not to say teachers shouldn’t do everything in their power to help vulnerable kids. Many do, and with inspirational outcomes. But they also have a duty of care to the vast majority of children who DO want to study and do well.