Teacher compensated after school incident
A teacher has been awarded with more than a quarter of a million pounds in compensation, after he was injured by a pupil, during an incident at work.
It took place in a corridor at the school where he was working, when the man was attacked by a boy who was 12 years of age. The pupil was known to be dangerous and had previously been involved in similar incidents, but the teacher was not advised of the danger that the boy posed.
The man had to take ill health retirement following the incident, which left him with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The man, who had been a teacher for eight years, was in his early fifties at the time of the incident. He joined the teaching profession after a career as an electrical engineer.
During this particular incident, the pupil jumped on the teacher’s back and then attempted to strangle him while he lay unconscious on the ground. The teacher was on his way to seek help from another senior teacher to discipline the student after he was found causing problems in a colleague’s class.
Only a week earlier the same student had attacked a security guard at the school’s library which was based in another building. Despite the head teacher knowing about the incident, the pupil’s violent past was never made known to the teachers.
Staff received no warning
Following the incident the pupil was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to Actual Bodily Harm. The teacher contacted his trade union to seek advice about making an accident claim and the union instructed no win no fee solicitors to pursue an accident claim on the man’s behalf. He was awarded with a sum of £280,000 in compensation.
The man said: “Teaching is the best job I have ever had but I have been forced to give it up as a result of this incident. If I had known this student had had a history of violence I would never have turned my back on him. Instead I’ve been left unable to cope with children and have been forced to take ill health retirement.”
He also added: “More help needs to be given to teachers who find themselves in similar circumstances.
Schools need to take violence seriously and the Local Education Authority needs to be in a position to provide psychiatric help from those specialising in victims of assault to ensure teachers feel mentally prepared to return to the job.”
Teachers at risk
Jim Quigley from the NASUWT trade union, said: “Every day some teachers are at risk because pupils who have a history of violence and aggression are not properly risk-assessed and preventative measures are not in place.
Mr Quigley added: “More needs to be done to ensure teachers are well equipped to deal with the regrettable reality of pupil violence.”
A personal injury specialist from a no win no fee solicitors firm, said: “Violence in schools is unacceptable and where a school knows a pupil is aggressive measures must be in place to ensure teachers are kept safe.
She concluded by saying that: “In this particular case we are pleased we have been able to support Colin in his fight for justice.”
Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/pound280000--for-teacher-attacked-by-pupil-1547954.html
Updated on 10/12/2010