The situation at Chatham High has prompted one student to speak out...
Dear Reader,
AS a representative of the Chatham High student body I feel that it is important that our voices are heard on the current issue regarding the expulsion of one of our students.
I understand that I cannot accurately report on behalf of the entire student body, however I believe that I speak for the majority of students when I say that we feel it is important to voice our support.
We will not stand back and say nothing while our education is being compromised.
Recently I have started to ask myself how many of us fully appreciate the value of education. It has become apparent to me that many of us take for granted the opportunities that are presented to us.
I am happy to declare that I am a proud member of Chatham High School. My experience of secondary education so far has been solely shaped by my five years at Chatham. During this time the support of my teachers and peers has never been far away. The obstacles that have been presented to me were never faced alone and I have few doubts about the ability of my teachers to teach and of my fellow students to learn willingly.
New and exciting opportunities are in no short supply at Chatham High. If you are prepared to surrender your time and effort, as at any other school, your education can be a positive and rewarding experience.
Although this attitude is constantly encouraged by our staff it is not always evident in our student's behaviour. I have unfortunately witnessed a great deal of apathy, reluctance and disrespect demonstrated by a minority of our students. It is the attitude of this minority that seems to overshadow the positive aspects of my school.
I wish that these students could understand that school is not something to be taken for granted. It is a valuable stepping stone to our futures and because of this it is also important that our education does not simply come from text books. As young adults we need to learn about how to behave and how to treat others. We need to learn about the consequences of our actions and how to stand up for what we believe in. It is my belief that our teachers' industrial action is about a lot more than the education of the student in question. It is quite clear that there is more at stake. For every hour that the staff have been on strike they have not been paid.
Every lesson they are on strike is a lesson that the students of Chatham High are not taught. So far year 12 has been the exception, however (last Wednesday) we will miss three valuable periods. Now that we have begun our final year of education every single lesson is important to our preparation for the HSC.
The construction of the shelter in top quad means that an area that is normally occupied at recess and lunch by at least a third of our students is out of bounds, and the alternative is the block of empty grass where one of our school buildings was burnt down last year. When it rains, as it has relentlessly this week, there is little space for us to shelter during the supervised "strike period." Our teachers have kindly allowed us to shelter in their classrooms at recess and lunch. We are currently without a permanent principal and the morale of the Chatham High community is at an all time low.
Does it sound hectic? It is, and yet I agree completely with my teachers. They have my support, as they have supported me so often before, because this is not just about one student.
It is about all of us. It is about standing up for what we believe in, and I believe that what my teachers are doing is the right thing. That it needs to be done. We cannot allow this case to set a precedent for students avoiding the consequences of their actions.
Our discipline policy must be respected by our students, just as the law is to be respected by all Australian citizens. Imagine the effect this case could have on the expectations students have for their own behaviour.
It is important that you understand that denying this student re-entry into Chatham High School is not denying them a second chance. After all, second chances are vital in schools, as children are still learning and their inevitable mistakes are to be initially treated as lessons about what is right and what is wrong.
However the student in question has behaved in a manner that is unacceptable in a school environment. This behaviour was repeated time and time again over an extended period until the point where second chances had well and truly been exhausted. The student was then expelled due to this behaviour.
What use is it teaching students if they are given an unrealistic precedent for the consequences of their actions? We need to learn that if we do the wrong thing we are to be treated accordingly.
So I wish to ask the community to try and understand the situation Chatham High School is currently faced with and to support the action that our teachers are taking.
I wish to thank the teachers of Chatham High for their commitment and dedication and I wish to ask the students of the Manning Valley to take responsibility for their education and treat it with the respect it deserves.
Concerned Chatham High
year 12 student
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