Rising number of teachers receive online abuse

Rising number of teachers receive online abuse – weekly news review

News in brief

The number of teachers receiving abuse on social media from students and parents has more than doubled in a year, according to a survey of NASUWT members. The study suggests that teachers face offensive comments about their appearance, malicious slurs, as well as sexist and racist remarks. In one case, a photo of a teacher was posted online with the word “bitch” underneath.
Record numbers are leaving teaching mid-career and almost four in 10 new teachers quit within a year of qualifying, according to analysis of government figures. Mary Bousted, the general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said: “This crisis is happening right at the very start of teachers’ careers. Teachers are leaving in their first year, or not starting teaching when they have completed their training.”
Eleven former Atlanta public school teachers have been found guilty of racketeering after being accused of participating in a test cheating conspiracy. Only one of the 12 those on trial, Dessa Curb, was acquitted. On hearing the verdict, Curb told reporters: “I knew God had my back.”
Support staff are being misused in school, attendees of the ATL’s annual conference were told. They are wrongly being used to cover for teachers for “protracted periods”, which deprives children of proper teaching and puts pressure on support staff. Delegates voted in favour of limiting the amount of cover that support staff can provide.
Headteachers cannot be expected to perform the duties of police officers or security services, according to union leaders. This comes amid concerns that the Easter holidays will be a “window of opportunity” for students to flee the UK to join extremist groups in the Middle East.

Research of the week

A team of scientists from California found that children with richer parents have bigger brains than their poorer counterparts. The research, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, also suggests that community support, motivated teachers and better school lunches can close the gap.

Scientists tested 1,099 typically developing people – male and female – aged between three and 20. They measured brain surface area and then compared results with income levels of the parents. They factored in other possible influences on the structure of the brain.

Weekly snapshot

We really liked these pictures @miss_mcinerney tweeted from this week’s ATL conference.

Liked this. They're right, too. #ATLConf2015 pic.twitter.com/6DV2UTWsyp
— Laura McInerney (@miss_mcinerney) March 31, 2015

Loving the graffiti wall at #ATLConf2015 pic.twitter.com/CuEKvguAjy
— Laura McInerney (@miss_mcinerney) March 31, 2015

The week in numbers

A survey of teachers suggests more children have mental health problems than two years ago. More than half of 850 staff surveyed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said they felt more students had developed problems.

One in five young teens said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, according to an NSPCC Childline survey. A 10th of the 700 young people aged 12 to 13 who took the survey feared they were addicted to porn.

Dates to remember

World Health Day is on Tuesday 7 April and this year the theme is “How safe is your food?” The Titanic tragically sunk 103 years ago on Wednesday 15 April 1912.

Teaching resources

Be choosy about your food is a great assembly to introduce your students to the World Health Day theme.
Engage your students in a creative writing session with these Titanic-themed borders.
Bumblebees are an essential part of our countryside. See if you can identify some of the kinds found in the UK.
This informative general election guide takes a look at key dates, the voting process and how the government is formed.