Teacher ‘incompetent’

By Callan Date
A FORMER Eumemmerring College teacher has been disciplined for allowing out-of-control students to fight and swear while under her supervision.
German and English teacher Karin Elizabeth Walter was found to be seriously incompetent by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) at a recent hearing.
The inquiry also heard, in defence of Ms Walter, that gangs existed at the school with fights among students a common occurrence.
Ms Walter, who taught year seven to 10 classes at Eumemmerring’s Fountain Gate campus between 2001 and 2003, was found to allow students to use foul language, throw chewing gum, paper and chair parts as well as scuffle with each other.
Students also regularly had their back to the teacher, did not engage in set tasks and displayed rowdy behaviour that went unchecked.
The three-member panel also heard that a student violently attacked another student while in Ms Walter’s charge.
A third student, who attempted to break up the fight, was injured when she hit her head on a table.
Evidence was presented regarding a second fight that took place so quickly that Ms Walter was unable to prevent it from occurring.
However, an allegation of failing to provide a safe and supportive learning environment was not proven.
“Whilst the teacher was unsuccessful in preventing the two fights, both her evidence and the student witnesses claim that the teacher did make an attempt to stop each of the fights as soon as she became aware of what was happening,” the formal hearing publication read.
Colleagues of Ms Walter said they noticed the teacher consistently displaying a lack of classroom control, which contributed to a poor working environment with excessive noise.
Concerned parents also wrote letters of complaint about the conduct of students in Ms Walter’s class.
In response Ms Walter said: “It is difficult to maintain an appropriate level of student discipline without adequate support and this may impact on curriculum delivery.”
She said the behaviour at the school was generally unruly and that, as a beginning teacher, she was not equipped to deal with the unruly environment at the school.
The VIT panel did not revoke Ms Walter’s teaching registration but did imposed several conditions, including:
• The teacher organise a registered secondary school teacher of at least five years experience to act as her professional mentor.
• That within 12 months of her next teaching appointment, Ms Walter provides the panel with a report from her mentor and a report from a school principal that attest to her satisfactory professional competence.
Australian Education Union industrial officer Eddie Johnson said Ms Walter would not make any comment to the News.
He said Ms Walter was in the process of applying for a teaching position and did not want to jeopardise her chances of obtaining employment.
Eumemmerring College Fountain Gate campus principal Vicki Walters said Ms Walter resigned from the Department of Education in 2004.
“The college accepts that VIT is the registration body for teachers,” Ms Walters said.
She declined to comment any further.