School plea

‘Law of the land doesn’t stop at the school gates’

Emer Gallagher

A BALLINA secondary school teacher has spoken out nationally about the criminal behaviour going unreported in secondary schools.
At the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) conference in Killarney last week, Greta Harrison, a teacher at St Mary’s Secondary School, Ballina, and a Standing Committee Representative with the union, spoke out about her belief that the law of the land must obtain in the classroom.
Speaking to The Mayo News, Ms Harrison, who represents 60 schools across Mayo, Leitrim and north Galway, said that criminal behaviour in the classroom is being classified as disruptive behaviour.
“Theft, physical abuse and damage to property are being classified under the umbrella of disruptive behaviour and I think this perpetrates the problem,” said Ms Harrison.
“If my bag was robbed in McDonald’s I would report it. The law of the land doesn’t stop at the school gates. I think it is a huge disservice to students if we give the impression they can get away with throwing chairs, damaging equipment and threatening behaviour.”
Ms Harrison said that allowing students to get away with behaviour that is classified as criminal may have serious repercussions in later life. She also said that in some schools teachers are encouraged to keep it ‘hush hush’ in a bid to avoid any negative publicity it may bring to the school.
“I, as a teacher, have a mandatory obligation under law to pass on, in confidence, any sexual abuse that is reported to me. I am duty-bound to do this. I think the same mandatory reporting should apply for criminal activity,” said Ms Harrison.
“It would make the teachers much more free to report and this would be better for everyone.”
Ms Harrison said the criminal behaviour by secondary pupils in Mayo schools is not as bad as among their Dublin counterparts, but said the problem definitely exists.
“You hear about it by default. It is kept quiet. There is a  code of loyalty that exists and at the end of the day this does no good,” added Ms Harrison.