Kind with fists: how teachers can protect themselves from school bullies
A petition was published in Nakhodka in defense of a math teacher from School No. 25 who attacked a student. The video hit the Web, the teacher resigned, but parents of students of the school created a petition, which was signed by more than 1.2 thousand people. They ask to keep him at work, calling the teacher "patient and responsive", emphasizing that teachers have too few rights left in a situation of conflict with students. How the teacher to protect themselves from bullies in the classroom, whether he needs additional legislative protection and whether to stay a teacher in school when he used force against a child - in the material "Izvestia".
Why the teacher stood up for the teacher
Thepetition was created on December 23 and on the same day collected 1260 signatures. It was sent to the head of school № 25 "Helios" of the city of Nakhodka Oleg Mozgovogo. The signatories ask "to assist in solving the issue of protecting the honor and dignity of the teacher of mathematics, history and class teacher of the 5 "B" class Gelyk Vasily Zinovievich".
Before that, on December 20, 2024, a video circulated in social networks, in which a teacher at a math lesson in the 5 "B" class shakes one of the students by the scruff of the neck. The authors of the petition write that the beginning of the conflict is not shown there, so it is impossible to "objectively assess what is happening," although they admit that "the behavior of the teacher and the student goes beyond the ethical norms of behavior."
It is stated that the pupil "repeatedly during the year provoked teachers with insults and inadequate behavior at lessons". At the same time Vasil Gelik is called a teacher "with a long work experience", "the kindest person", "correct, patient and responsive" teacher. The author of the petition asks to "look deeper into the situation to understand why the teacher reacted to the student's behavior in such a way."
"We want to stand up in defense of our teacher, shielding from injustice and slander, from the rudeness of children who have tasted permissiveness. Now the teacher, in fact, is a powerless member of the school society, when a student can insult and behave defiantly, realizing and expressing aloud his confidence in impunity," writes the author of the petition.
The signatories ask to keep Vasiliy Gelyk at the school, as he "finds an approach to each child."
So far, Vasil Gelyk is listed among the teachers on the website of the 25th school. At the time of publication of the material, the management of the school has not responded to the request of "Izvestia".
Can a teacher keep his job?
Ivan Gribkov, associate professor at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, notes that in order to keep a teacher's job after such a conflict, three components are needed: first, the rightness and legality of his actions; second, the teacher's readiness to defend his position, honest name and professional reputation; third, the support of students, parents, teaching staff and administration.
Dmitry Kazakov, chairman of the Teacher trade union, noted that there have been cases when teachers have been reprimanded.
- But this is usually very unpleasant," said the Izvestiya interlocutor. - It stays with the teacher for a long time, does not add positivity to his work and is very hard to endure.
Ivan Gribkov notes that the physical impact of a teacher on a student in the learning process is inadmissible and is not justified for any reason - unless it is a case of direct self-defense.
- Such a teacher needs a rest for sure. The use of force against the obviously weaker - it does not color a professional, - he is sure.
How a teacher can protect himself
Roman Roza, a lawyer of the Rostov Regional Bar Association "Counselor" Roman Roza said that now the state is taking comprehensive measures aimed at protecting teachers from unlawful actions on the part of wards. In particular, last December amendments were made to the law "On Education".
- It states that the special status of pedagogical workers in the society is recognized in the territory of our country, - said the lawyer. - Article 47 of the Federal Law specifies that they have the right to respect for human dignity, as well as protection from all forms of physical and mental violence and personal insult.
Roman Roza lists specific measures that teachers can take to protect their rights. Thus, a teacher can also apply to the commission for the settlement of disputes between participants of educational relations.
The problem is that often the teacher is not familiar with the normative acts, notes Ivan Gribkov. And the administrations of educational organizations, in turn, do not carry out preventive work, do not create algorithms of action in such situations, do not respond to timely signals from teachers, students and parents, the expert continues.
He suggests first trying to solve the problem through dialogue: ask the bully about the reasons for bad behavior and, if he makes contact, agree with him or adjust the course of the lesson, changing the task for him.
The second method Ivan Gribkov suggests is ignoring, so that the situation changes from "interferes with the teacher" to "interferes with everyone".
The third method is to clearly and calmly convey to the bully the consequences of his actions. Without threats, but so that the pupil understands that the teacher will not let his bad behavior go.
If the situation is out of control, it is necessary to immediately call a duty representative of the administration, after the lesson to send a report to the management with a detailed description of the event and the indication of the impossibility of the educational process. This note should be submitted officially and recorded.
- And if there are signs of criminal or administrative offense - a statement to the police with mandatory notification of the administration of both the conflict situation and the filed statement, - said Ivan Gribkov.
Elena Kryuchkova, General Director of the ANO "Moya Semya", neuropsychologist, believes that special training sessions could be organized for teachers to help them find peaceful ways out of situations and develop the ability to identify the causes of conflicts.
How to help teachers
Roman Roza believes that it is inexpedient to increase teachers' powers to protect their rights in conflict situations with teachers: there is already a large enough list of possibilities. Ivan Gribkov is also sure that a teacher is sufficiently protected from the actions of school bullies. The powers may need to be specified or supplemented, taking into account the growing digitalization of society, but there is no point in expanding them.
Meanwhile, the school will soon have another of the methods of influence on students - the return of grades for behavior, which was announced not so long ago by President Vladimir Putin.
Larisa Tutova, a member of the State Duma Committee on Education, stressed in a conversation with Izvestia that in order for this measure to be effective, the behavioral assessment must have an impact on something - for example, on the admission when transferring to final grades.
Experts emphasize that the objectivity and transparency of behavioral assessments are important. Tatyana Rassolova, a regional mentor-educator of the Pskov Oblast and teacher at Pskov Secondary School No. 1, believes that grades should be lowered for gross violations of discipline in class and during recess; for profanity, rude, insensitive words to the teacher and students; for provocative actions both to the teacher and to the students; for distorting facts and words in one's own favor, deliberate lies and hearsay.
Elena Nedbaylo, deputy director and history teacher of Orenburg Gymnasium No. 1, urges to consider not only sanctions but also incentives.
-It is also worth considering the possibility of introducing a support system for those students who have difficulties with behavior," said Inga Gorbunova, a teacher-psychologist of the highest qualification category at Kindergarten No. 1 in St. Petersburg and a lecturer at the Russian Society of Knowledge. - After all, it is no secret that often the cause of difficult behavior is the peculiarities of the child's interaction with the social environment - relations in the family, with peers.
Dmitry Kazakov from the trade union "Teacher" notes that the issue of conflicts between teachers and students is very acute, but it will not be solved with the help of new powers of teachers, new laws and behavioral assessments.
- After all, the reasons for conflicts are most often in unbearable working and learning conditions," he says. - When teachers are overloaded and a class teacher works 36 hours a week, he naturally has no energy to educate and work with children. And the child most likely has some problems at home or at school and needs to be dealt with, but the teacher has no time.
Children in a situation when they are not paid attention to, begin to behave aggressively, provoke, but teachers, tired by the seventh or eighth lesson, can also react inadequately to this.
- Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate the conditions under which teachers work with a huge load. Then there will be fewer such situations," Kazakov said.
