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When Teachers Can, Can't Touch Children TEACHERS will be given a strict code of conduct for physical contact with children in their care as part of an Education Department review. Department chief executive Steve Marshall said yesterday the department would review guidelines to clarify when it was appropriate for teachers to touch children, such as to comfort them. Mr Marshall warned schools were at risk of becoming "callous" if teachers were discouraged from touching children under all circumstances. The safety and wellbeing of children and students is of the highest priority," he said. Mr Marshall said it was appropriate for teachers to have "positive contact" with children and "common sense" was the key. "But factors such as the age of a child, whether the child knows and trusts the teacher and cultural and family backgrounds need to be considered," he said. "Also, teachers need to recognise a child's body language - some children simply do not want positive contact and it is advisable to first ask permission from the child." The review was prompted by questioning in an Estimates Committee hearing on Monday from Independent Mp Bob Such who was concerned teachers were being discouraged from touching children at all, even to comfort them if they were hurt. Mr Marshall told the committee it was appropriate for a teacher to help a child from the ground if they had fallen over and been hurt. "If it means counselling the student through some form of physical contact, then that is also appropriate under specific circumstances," he said. The Australian Education Union advises teachers against having any physical contact at all with students because it is "legally fraught with danger". "Nonetheless it's a reality that kids often look for comfort when they're hurt or upset and teachers use their best judgment," AEU state president Andrew Gobi said. A Parentm, from the northern suburbs, whose daughter, 5, is in Reception, said he would want a teacher to physically comfort his daughter if she was hurt or distressed. "I can understand (though) if a male teacher has some concerns about consoling a small child, particularly a girl," he said. Principals stressed the need for the new guidelines to be explicit because teachers were wary of touching students for fear of abuse claims. There is certainly a lot of apprehension in the minds of particularly male teachers (about touching students) ... simply because we are in a climate where litigation and false accusation are highly probable," SA Secondary Principals Association president Bob Heath said. SA Primary Principals Association president Leonie Trimper said the guidelines would need to include a range of scenarios "so there's very little room for misinterpretation''. AA- 24-6-2004 Jemma Chapman |
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