Ceres
26-02-2009, 04:24 PM
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,,25107657-2761,00.html
MORE school fights footage has emerged today with a boxing match in a classroom being filmed, with a teacher allegedly looking on.
The classroom boxing match was allegedly filmed at the Kelmscott Senior High School with a teacher apparently standing in the background looking on.
Education Department Director General Sharyn O'Neill said she was investigating the incident.
The latest "fight club'' footage follows a revelation that schools wanting to ban mobile phone use completely will be backed by the Education Department .
In a letter to schools this week, WA Education Department director-general Sharyn O'Neill said the department's existing Behaviour Management in Schools policy required that schools ban mobile phone use in the classroom.
``(But) schools are also entitled to ban their use anywhere on the school site, following community consultation,'' she said in her letter.
``And I would support such decisions.''
The crackdown came after new vision of student fights at North Albany Senior High School - including girls - emerged on video website YouTube.
Last year brawls at John Forrest Senior High School posted on YouTube prompted fears that a ``fight club'' culture was becoming established in WA schools
Ms O'Neill also said in the letter that she expected ``principals to suspend immediately any students found to be involved in recording, distributing or uploading inappropriate images or videos of students, parents or staff on school premises''.
"I would also ask you (principals) to appeal to parents to help schools by monitoring and encouraging their child's appropriate use of technology including mobile phones and the internet,'' she said.
In a media statement yesterday she said there had been "a few well publicised incidents'' where students had recorded anti-social and violent behaviour involving other students on their mobile phones.
``The footage has been posted on websites for all to see,'' she said.
``Not only is this a breach of privacy, but it can also add to the trauma of the victims.
``Using mobile phones or similar devices for these purposes is totally unacceptable and I expect those who do so to be punished fully.''
Opposition education spokeswoman Michelle Roberts said the vision of an organised fight involving Albany students was further evidence of the need for the Barnett Government to develop a state-wide strategy to deal with school "fight clubs".
MORE school fights footage has emerged today with a boxing match in a classroom being filmed, with a teacher allegedly looking on.
The classroom boxing match was allegedly filmed at the Kelmscott Senior High School with a teacher apparently standing in the background looking on.
Education Department Director General Sharyn O'Neill said she was investigating the incident.
The latest "fight club'' footage follows a revelation that schools wanting to ban mobile phone use completely will be backed by the Education Department .
In a letter to schools this week, WA Education Department director-general Sharyn O'Neill said the department's existing Behaviour Management in Schools policy required that schools ban mobile phone use in the classroom.
``(But) schools are also entitled to ban their use anywhere on the school site, following community consultation,'' she said in her letter.
``And I would support such decisions.''
The crackdown came after new vision of student fights at North Albany Senior High School - including girls - emerged on video website YouTube.
Last year brawls at John Forrest Senior High School posted on YouTube prompted fears that a ``fight club'' culture was becoming established in WA schools
Ms O'Neill also said in the letter that she expected ``principals to suspend immediately any students found to be involved in recording, distributing or uploading inappropriate images or videos of students, parents or staff on school premises''.
"I would also ask you (principals) to appeal to parents to help schools by monitoring and encouraging their child's appropriate use of technology including mobile phones and the internet,'' she said.
In a media statement yesterday she said there had been "a few well publicised incidents'' where students had recorded anti-social and violent behaviour involving other students on their mobile phones.
``The footage has been posted on websites for all to see,'' she said.
``Not only is this a breach of privacy, but it can also add to the trauma of the victims.
``Using mobile phones or similar devices for these purposes is totally unacceptable and I expect those who do so to be punished fully.''
Opposition education spokeswoman Michelle Roberts said the vision of an organised fight involving Albany students was further evidence of the need for the Barnett Government to develop a state-wide strategy to deal with school "fight clubs".