Union rep says teachers powerless to stop horror attack at high school

Teachers who did not physically intervene when a student allegedly assaulted his fellow classmate have been defended by their union representative.

Footage emerged last week of two pupils involved in a serious altercation at Busselton Senior High School, 200km south of Perth.

Busselton Senior High School’s State School Teachers Union of WA representative Geoff Holt has said staff were powerless in stopping the attack.

“It is easy to question an individual teacher for failing to do more to stop a fight between two students who were both over 75 kilograms and over six feet tall," he told The West Australian.

One of the boys, 16, was rushed to hospital with injuries to his face and head after allegedly being attacked repeatedly by another student, 15, during a game of basketball in the school's gym.

Parents of the alleged victim said he was so brutally beaten he suffered from a seizure. The footage shows a teenager at one point appearing to stamp on the other's head.

The alleged victim's parents were not happy about the way the incident was handled by the school.

Meanwhile, Western Australia's Education Minister also criticised the lack of intervention in the incident.

Minister Sue Ellery has said she would be investigating what training teachers had to de-escalate violent scenarios, but Mr Holt said a teacher's main purpose was to teach and not to deal with combat.

“We need more protection, more resources and more support," he said.

"That is something constructive the minister could assist us with rather than commenting on a situation at which she wasn’t present and before any investigation has been conducted."

Mr Holt said there had been numerous incidents in recent years where teachers had been investigated after trying to break up fights.

He also revealed he and other members of staff had been injured by pupils, including a pregnant teacher punched in the face, when intervening in physical altercations.

The father of the teen rushed to hospital told 7News he was angered by the response to the attack.

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"To be honest, it makes my blood boil. It's just unbelievable," he said.

State School Teachers Union of WA President Pat Byrne told Yahoo7 News it would be unfair to comment on the incident until all investigations were completed.

“It would be far better for all concerned that we step back from commenting on the incident that occurred at Busselton Senior High School until the investigation is completed and a report is presented," he said.

Mr Bryne said the the union’s advice to teachers was to avoid risking their careers by using force with students.

“Teachers face risk when intervening in student fights particularly in severe circumstances such as we saw in Busselton and there is also a very real danger that physical contact can escalate the behaviour of the student and increase the risk of injury to the teacher, the student themselves or others nearby.

“Teachers make a split second decision and for outside observers to pass judgement without understanding all of the circumstances facing the teacher at the time, is unhelpful.”

According to The West Australian, Department of Education figures show 32 staff members faced investigations this financial year over allegations they used physical contact on students.

The Department of Education's acting deputy director general for schools Stephen Baxter said he had been advised police had charged a 15-year-old male over the incident and the school was moving to exclude the student.

“It wouldn’t matter where in the community an incident like this unfolded, any reasonable person would be shocked by this young person’s violent actions,” he said.

“The school principal and staff are providing ongoing support to the victim and his family, and anyone affected by the incident is being offered counselling by school psychologists."