IEU Deputy General Secretary Kylie Busk: When in doubt, seek support
The work of educators has always been dynamic and complex, but every now and then a story about what staff are facing at work stops you in your tracks.
A recent Herald Sun article highlighted students deliberately provoking teachers to get an emotional reaction ̶ known as ‘rage-baiting’ ̶ and the serious emotional and professional toll this unprecedented behaviour is taking on staff.
It described how students “acting individually or in teams…ask repetitive questions, disrupt learning, call out, leave the room without approval, and make inflammatory personal comments designed to get a teacher to snap.”
Recordings of teachers reacting after being pushed to the brink are often shared around the school and posted online.
This is another disturbing example of how challenging classroom behaviour has become and how technology can amplify problematic encounters.
When faced with this type of behaviour, the article reports that some teachers feel compelled to “turn the tables on their students,” by using recording devices themselves ̶ a strategy that carries significant professional and legal risks.
One teacher is reported as saying: “… I simply take out my phone, set it to audio recording, and show the class that I am now recording them so that the FULL content of what is happening is recorded and tell them I would be more than happy to share the recording with their parents if required.”
Publishing or sharing recordings carries risks. Even if the recording is legal, a teacher can face disciplinary action if it is shared with colleagues without permission, sent to parents without approval, posted on social media, or used to shame or threaten students.
In Catholic and independent schools, such consequences usually come from contractual obligations, codes of conduct, or diocesan and system privacy policies. Even recordings that are technically lawful can still be considered a breach of professional standards.
Coping with complexity
The impact on school staff in these situations is enormous. IEU members report that these types of challenges leave them feeling vulnerable and questioning whether working in schools can be a viable long-term career choice.
This complex issue, virtually unknown even a few years ago, highlights why anyone working in a school needs access to the expert support of their union. It’s why we established the Member Services Unit (MSU) last year to ensure members could access dedicated and timely advice on the wide and rapidly evolving challenges that members face in schools today.
In this edition of The Point (page 10) is the first of a new ongoing feature which highlights the topics our MSU Officers encounter most frequently. You’ll see this covers a huge range of matters, from leave to pay to disciplinary processes. However, this page also intends to remind members dealing with uncommon challenges — like being rage-baited — that they have an expert team to guide them.
So, if you are stopped in your tracks by outrageous student behaviour, don’t pick up your phone to start recording and risk your career. Use it to call the MSU! Their educational, industrial, and legal expertise will help you make informed decisions. Challenges like ‘rage-baiting’ show members need that support now more than ever.