Thursday, April 3, 2008

My experience with Biloela High School


October 19, 2005







Mr Rod Welford
Minister for Education and Minister for the Arts
Department of Education and the Arts
PO Box 15033
City East
QLD 4002
Australia



Dear Sir,

Re: Travers-Murison contract and resignation Biloela High School 29 August 2005 [to 23 September 2005 (all in bold and brackets are amendments to the original letter added later)]


1. Introduction.............................. 1
2. Grounds of Complaint.............................. 2
3. Maths......................................................... 2
4. Legal Studies.............................................. 3
5. Summary of situation................................... 4
6. Possible solution............................................ 4
7. A new perspective – an experimental alternative school based on Yoga and the local environment..................... 6
8. The Resignation............................................ 6
9. Desired Outcome.................................................... 10
1. Introduction

I suppose it has been a difficult time for all of us. I was given a chance to teach at Biloela High School and it appears in their eyes I have failed. I am grateful for the opportunity they have given me. If God exists then I am sure he had reason for sending me to this school.

What can I tell you about myself? I am vegetarian, do not drink alcohol, I have practised yoga for a long time and meditation. I suppose I am spiritual. I was brought up Christian, but see God more through a Hindu perspective. Though I have my doubts there. I try and follow a moral ethic called dharma similar to the 10 commandments.

My schooling was at Melbourne Grammar, an elite private school. I did my teaching rounds there and at De la Salle, a Catholic private school. I did my diploma of education at the Australian Catholic University. I had done some teaching rounds at Lake Ginnandarra College in the ACT, which is a state school. There I had found the students probably better behaved than in the private schools. Although I had some difficulties with classroom management in teaching rounds, I was completely unprepared for the lack of discipline and basic manners of students in Biloela High School.

I was brought up by a mother who taught in schools as a head of department, then as a senior lecturer in education at La Trobe University. She was head of the diploma of education, Dr Molly Travers. My Aunt was senior lecturer in special education at Melbourne University, Dr Pat Long, and my other Aunt was senior lecturer and assistant dean at ANU, Slavic Languages, Margaret Travers. Their mother was a Hawker from South Australia, original settlers and her grandfather was a founding father of South Australia, speaker and treasurer in the parliament, George Hawker, and her mother was the daughter of Sir William Stawell, Chief Justice and Governor of Victoria. My father was a professional soldier and officer in the Gordon Highlanders and then the Australian Infantry.

I studied law, psychology and history at Monash University, then did my articles at a well respected law firm in Melbourne, now Deacon, Graham James. I then worked at E & Y and KPMG London doing tax consulting. I travelled Europe and ended up in India for 2 years searching for the meaning of life. I found some answers in yoga and came back to Australia. I believed that the future lay in alternative lifestyle, however I experimented with marijuana with bad effects and was sectioned [for observation] under the Mental Health Act in 1995. I was released after 48 hours [the decision being that I was not psychotic], however there is no doubt I was in a confused state. I gave up all drugs and alcohol, but my condition developed into depression and possibly a mild form of schizophrenia. I tried to start a business, was unable to find a job and eventually was put on a disability pension. I retrained as a teacher in 2004. I did not disclose this to the school or Education Department as I believed I had recovered to an extent from this illness that it would not effect my ability to teach. [I had also discussed the teaching position with my doctor, Barry Teperman in Melbourne in July 2005, he had told me that I should be fine to do the job. I was no longer on medication and feeling good and physically was very fit. I do not believe my mental illness had any significant effect on my ability to teach, and if this is used as a grounds for termination then this constitutes discrimination – also an invalid reason for dismissal under the IRC.]


2. Grounds of Complaint

The purpose of this letter is primarily to bring to the attention to the Department of Education the behaviour of the students at Biloela school which I experienced and hopefully to introduce some changes to improve this situation. I attempted to use the school’s methods to improve their behaviour, this was of limited success. I received inadequate support from the school despite asking many times for help, including supervision of my classes and observation of other classes to determine where I was going wrong. I was told that this would occur next term. I was ironically even given an induction manual the day before I was asked to resign after a mere 2 weeks of teaching.

I was not adequately educated in the use of the RTC (Responsible Thinking Classroom) process and was not adequately supported when I used this process, by especially John, who even apologised that he had not explained the process properly to me. He then told me to tell the students I was not enjoying what was happening in the class and to write on the board asking them a list of everything the students expected of me and everything I should expect of them and if necessary get them to write it down and sign it. He said I should only do this if I felt comfortable with it. I got the feeling he wanted them to take responsibility for their behaviour but in the end they had to do what he said – in particular getting the students to agree to the RTC process. John seemed to be saying it is there and it will be imposed upon the students, but not actually asking the students whether they agree to that process. I attempted to do this in Legal Studies Year 11 with limited success, although I did not write on the board as he suggested. I was concerned about getting through the syllabus and did not want to spend an entire lesson on classroom management, especially in Maths where they were about to sit an exam. John had told me from the beginning to take it easy on the children and not to try and change things too fast or they would ‘buck’ in his words. He was aware that the classes were out of control due to the last contract teacher, Richard McGoffin, who had had his contract honoured despite drinking excessively, smashing a hole in the wall of his flat, having little control in his classes (I had seen him teach before I started) and teaching very little in an area he was not qualified to teach in (maths). It was his first teaching job and from what I understand he was given no mentoring by the school despite the fact they knew his classes were out of control. Initially I tried this softly, softly approach but by the end of the first week the classes were getting worse as students saw no consequences for their disruptive actions. I suggested that the classes I had be taken over by a more experienced maths teacher and that I take their classes where the students were not out of control. John said he would prefer not to do this. The situation in the classes was extremely difficult, the RTC process was ridiculed by the students, however I slowly was beginning to make some progress with the students when I was asked to resign.

3. Maths

After a few classes I began using the RTC process. This was immediately ridiculed by the students and as John had predicted they ‘bucked’. I had to call in other teachers to remove students who would not leave after being RTCed, I was verbally abused by students and one student, Joel Brauer, a handsome boy who felt the need to impress his persona on others and seemed older and bigger than the other students in Year 9 Maths conducted himself in a manner that suggested to me that he was physically threatening me. Students complained they were being unfairly treated by me and John saw me and told me to ease off. Though he initially supported me against the students complaints. As a result I attempted to teach in the second week without fully addressing the classroom management issues. Firstly because the maths classes had exams and revision material needed to be covered and many of the students had little understanding of the material as it had been so inadequately taught to them by the last teacher (the Year 9 support teacher told me parents had complained and that he used to come into the class telling the students he had a hangover and tell them to do the exercises in the book without teaching them how to do the problems), so in effect I had to teach a terms material in one week. Not being a maths teacher and having to get to speed on a terms worth of material in a few days was difficult but manageable. Fortunately I had requested the maths text books a month before taking the job, although the school had been reluctant and tardy in sending them. I taught this over the classroom chatter and disruption on the whole. Secondly because using the RTC process caused a much greater disruption to the class and took such a long time to complete – asking 5 questions, a warning then another 3 questions then filling out a form and then attempting to remove the student. This being for only one student, in a class of 26. The process had to be repeated for each disruptive student. And thirdly because John had told me to institute change slowly. Nonetheless I still RTCed students whose behaviour was so disruptive the class could not continue, these students amazingly complained of unfair treatment. Several refused to leave the classroom and I had to send students to obtain another teacher to remove them.

I offered incentives to students to perform well in the Year 9 Maths exam – offering an emblazoned ‘Australia’ pen to the top 6 students. This was ridiculed by students. Nonetheless I fulfilled my offer and gave the pens stating that students who do well should not be put down but encouraged and looked up to. I went through the answers after the exam. One student complained that their first teacher that year wrote out the answers and working for them when correcting their work. I told them that I had checked with the head of maths and that what I had done was more than adequate (in fact she had said in a written note that my marking was excellent). I had generally where a clear attempt to answer the question had been made, corrected and shown how to solve the problem on their papers. I said it was up to them to concentrate and watch how I answered the questions on the board and write down the answers and workings, or to see me if they still could not understand. As it was I had spent till 2am marking their papers the night before.

I was also trying to use a variety of approaches to address classroom management. In Year [8] Maths I had bought a box of funny animal noses to offer as incentives to difficult students to behave. I was about to institute this process the next term.

4. Legal Studies

In Legal Studies the vice principal, John, actually took the side of one student, Rebecca, an intelligent but precocious individual, interviewing her twice including with the department head, without inviting me to be present when I was available [Tue 6/9]. This student omitted to mention that she had sworn using a four letter word twice, presented herself as totally innocent and myself as incompetent. I had previously discussed this student with the department head for sabotaging my classes. The student and I had had a long discussion the week before about the RTC process in front of the class, in which she had told me if what I or another student said to the class was not of interest in her opinion then she had the right to talk over us and to her friends. She had also interrupted the class twice saying my method of teaching was boring and that she preferred to work on her own. I was at that stage having students read out passages and then was discussing the issues and activities with the class, as well as having them write a glossary for key words. This appeared to be working well until her interruptions led me to try and adopt her approach. This was totally unsuccessful, students did virtually nothing except chat.

The next class [Mon 5/9] I told the students that they would have to adopt my way of doing things and if they did not like this they could see the administration and change subjects. However the damage was done and classroom management became a major issue with Rebecca and Ingrid Maddox talking over me and making rude and insulting comments both in tone and manner [Tue 6/9]. I was individually helping students complete activities, having read the questions once to Rebecca, she continued chatting loudly off the topic and when I gave the second warning she began arguing that she was doing nothing wrong. I therefore RTCed her. This then led to her swearing and slamming the door saying she was going to complain to the principal. The rest of the class had adopted a sort of mob mentality and supported her. I asked them to hand in their work for the lesson. Only half did and this was poorly completed. Basic concepts I had explained were not understood when I marked them, most had done little work.

She complained to John about this [Tue 6/9] and Judy the head of business, came to speak to me concerned about what was happening in the legal studies class. I said I was using a Socratic method of discussion, question and answer – I am a qualified solicitor. However the students were complaining it was too difficult. She told me the students were not very good at thinking things through and the school could do better in this area. We discussed strategies and she suggested using overheads and having them copy notes. I asked her if this would be appropriate for the last class in the last period of term in the afternoon when many students would be away. She said yes. The next day [Wed 7/9] I spoke to John who said he was concerned and believed the student, Rebecca, and that I was not speaking loudly enough in the class. I explained I was in a computer room, had a desk filled with a printer, students from other classes continually came in to do printing, many of the computers faced away from me and it was not possible for me to see some of the students in the room due to its floor plan. That it was difficult to teach in that room and I said I did not believe it was due to me speaking softly, but because the students did not listen and be quiet. I said sometimes I spoke deliberately softly to get them to shut up. I said I was going to use a seating plan and John shook his head saying in effect it would not work and that I was acting too much with ‘a them and us’ mentality.

The next class [Fri 9/9] I used a seating plan. I prepared material for the next class and the students refused to co-operate. I attempted to use a data projector to go through the answers of the work they had done the day before and correct misunderstandings. They said they had no ambition, why should they learn to get ahead of others, they said they had no real interest in the subject and found it boring and always had. They had no particular desire to go to university. Darts were continually thrown until I picked them all up and removed one student who was from another class and was using the computer in the room, he refused to leave and I had to send for a teacher. I discussed using a different approach with them. I said I was not their enemy and wanted to enjoy teaching them. That I was there to help them. That we should both want to be here. That if I did not like teaching them and they did not like being taught by me, that we needed to work out a way where we could both like it. I asked for suggestions. Little was forthcoming apart from one student who said to me we need to be disciplined and punished to make us work.

5. Summary of situation

Apathy and poor attitude to learning and responsibility seemed prevalent at this school. They would toss their books of work at me, snatch handouts, storm out the door at end of class, answer back, aggressively demand their rights, refused to accept individual help, behaved generally discourteously and in a manner lacking dignity and respect. For instance in Year 9 Maths the idea of putting your hand up to answer a question and waiting till the teacher asked you to speak, was simply non-existent and when I insisted upon this I was told I was too strict. In BCT Year 11 I was at one stage referred to as ‘what’s his face’ and had comments made like ‘who does he think he is’. I always treated them with respect and dignity, for instance asking the BCT students to ‘respectfully and courteously leave the room’, however this was not reciprocated and seemed to be viewed as weakness and an opportunity to take advantage of the person. This is not the way children should be educated or brought up as responsible citizens. It is an indictment on our education system. From what I could gather from taking other classes that this student attitude was common throughout the school and was just accepted by the teachers. That this tolerance was creating a culture of disrespect and apathy. It is a corollary to take the next step and see how social problems are so prevalent in society amongst the youth. I was told Biloela had a high youth suicide rate.

The school’s process for dealing with classroom management was poorly handled. For instance no one told me in my RTC briefing that if a student did not take the RTC process seriously they could be removed there and then without a warning. Almost every student I RTCed complained to the administration that they considered I was being unfair when in every case they had been given more chances than the system required (I usually asked them to sit elsewhere before RTCing) and were behaving in a manner that was far beyond the minimum to use the RTC process. This suggests to me that the students themselves do not have an adequate reasoned understanding of what is acceptable behaviour in the classroom. Their understanding seems to be superficial and based more on fear of consequences judged according to what they feel they can get away with the teacher, rather than based on taking responsibility and discerning what is most beneficial for them.

I had Ian, John and Catherine ask me to sign off students RTC plans to keep the peace. I told them that if the students were not taking the plan seriously, were not answering the questions seriously and were not willing to fulfil the plan I would not sign it. The teachers told me to get the kids back in the classroom. I said I was not happy with this and that those students were disrupting the class and causing other students to disrupt and were making teaching impossible. That when they were removed good teaching was occurring. I told Catherine [Thu 8/9] that I had felt physically threatened by Joel Bauer, she suggested moving one student to another class in Year 9 Maths D – I had wanted three to go but said I would accept this. I had already discovered that one difficult student had incredibly been transferred into the Year 9 Maths class which had been out of control under McGoffin, because another Maths teacher could not cope with him – his name was Jack Stuart-Sutherland.

I had organised a seating plan with every class by the end of term and with the Year 8 Maths students began to see real progress in classroom management. The class was becoming enjoyable to teach though still rowdy.

6. Possible solution

I feel a completely new system of discipline is required. An experiment in innovation. The RTC process is an insult to students. The questions are coarse and harsh and produce an immediate feeling of persecution which is ridiculed by the students. It creates a ‘them and us’ mentality.

Somehow the responsibility for classroom management needs to be transferred to the students. The teacher merely the facilitator of the classes wishes. Maybe working out with them a discipline system.

In Maths teaching students with such a broad range of ability needs strategies outside the norm of traditional teaching. Group teaching and using students of higher ability to teach those of lesser ability. In the last week I organised a seating plan in my Maths classes to institute this. I commented many times that the classes should be streamed. Teaching students with high intelligence with those that can barely grasp basic concepts leads to disruption by intelligent students when explanations are given to the class at a level basic enough for the students having difficulties and disruption by the lesser students when explanations are made at a level for the more intelligent students. It is very difficult to teach in this situation. The result is the students having difficulties learn very little as not enough time is given to them to explain the basic concepts they need to learn to advance. The smarter students are not educated to the best of their ability due to the time spent dealing with the students having difficulties.

In Year 8 Maths Leon needs to be receiving remedial help yet is still in the class learning almost nothing and causing incredible disruption. The boys in particular see no need to show working of their maths solutions despite being constantly told to do so. Peter seemed to have ADHD and would feel the need to hit everything, yet again this had not been dealt with. He also performed at a level which suggested remedial help was needed. David while bright, could not maintain an attention span, could not show working and had to involve himself with the disruptive students. When I took him to see John about his behaviour, he became much sadder, and abusive when I saw him in the playground. Other students would make abusive remarks to me in the playground, when I asked other teachers what to do they told me it was best to ignore it as there was no formalised discipline procedure to deal with this behaviour. I mentioned these students to other teachers in the maths department and their general attitude was there is nothing wrong with them. They did point to a long form filling process to obtain special help for them, which they said they were unlikely to receive. This leads me to believe the system as a whole is failing these students. And also failing teachers. I myself began unconsciously to adopt a siege mentality.

A Year 9 Maths student who was disruptive but competent at his work, I RTCed because he insisted I take his exam paper away before the exam was complete [Tue 6/9]. I told him the papers were to stay until the exam was over and that he should check his work or sit quietly. He refused to do this disrupting other students. I spoke to him later and asked him to have his parents sign the RTC plan, but I discovered he was living at home with his sister while his parents were away on a cruise. From discussions with other people I discovered that Biloela attracted working class people looking for quick money and high wages on the mines and power station. That as a result their kids were spoilt, given large allowances, but not adequately looked after or valued. That education was not valued.

I am aware that the education system currently is in a state of flux already having realised the inadequacy of the old system, having rejected corporal punishment and is trying to address individual differences in modalities of student learning.

These changes and reforms in process are for the main very positive, however there seems to have been little change in the syllabus to support these changes. For instance the Year 9 Maths text did little to address multiple intelligences and was 15 years old. I had to teach contract law to a group of Year 11 students, mostly female, none of whom were interested in becoming a lawyer and most not wanting to go onto higher education. I am a solicitor. I was trying to teach them from the text book and using newspaper advertisements what an invitation to treat is. However I seriously wondered if this was appropriate syllabus for these students. These are difficult concepts even in Law School. I refer to the problems I had in this class mentioned in page 2 and 3.

Other reforms have indirectly affected classroom management. Paedophilia phobia combined with children’s rights has made the community unnaturally paranoid, not without justification. The result is a child can not be touched in any but extreme circumstances and they are full of demanding their own rights in the classroom with little sense of their obligations. It seems a shame to me that a child cannot be reassured with a gentle touch and this would do a lot to bring back a sense of humanity and loving kindness into the classroom. A touch can also bring a child back to attention and remind them to behave. The policy and legislation in this area needs to be reformed and more clearly defined as to acceptable and unacceptable physical contact between student and teacher in the classroom. Let me reassure you I never physically touched a student in Biloela, however I do feel that this is an issue that needs dealing with Australia wide. Let it be noted that international teachers I have spoken to said Australia was considered one of the worst countries to teach in, in the world because of its poor discipline – this came from an American teacher.

It seems to me that a step is missing in the whole educational process. That is that high levels of academic content are bucketed onto students who then rebel or simply do not understand or ‘parrot’ learn answers, while much more basic and fundamental areas in their lives need to be dealt with. For example educating them to be respectful caring and loving human being should be the highest priority. I understand that at home often families have collapsed, and in the world outside combined with technological advances there is a freedom ‘to do as you please’ that effects children’s attitudes. In particular moral values seem to have diminished or are in a state of flux that leaves children in a very vulnerable and confused position. Consequently they often lose faith in the adults that are supposedly guiding them. This leads to rebellion at home and also in school. A general lack of respect for adults and therefore teachers results. This condition of society makes it particularly difficult for teachers now. It also means that it is extremely important for schools to reinforce good behaviour and high standards of ethics in students so they can cope in the world.

Our education system is based on a 17th century Prussian military method of teaching. Everyone is taught the same thing at the same level in large numbers on the basis of economic efficiency. They are forced to sit at desks for large periods of time in uniforms and in rectangular patterns of seating. Little regard is taken for the individual and their different modalities and levels of learning. One wonders why they become disruptive.

Adopting a yoga system where exercise and asana posture to improve posture, health and mental concentration incorporating meditation would be ideal to calm students and improve results. A vegetarian, wholefoods organic diet free of junk food should also improve health, vitality and academic results, while reducing ADHD type behaviour which has been linked to diet. Arnold Schwarzanegger has already banned junk food for sale to students in California. The yoga system which is holistic and spiritual incorporating a belief in loving kindness and unity of all things would give students an excellent base to become loving, peaceful and compassionate citizens. Furthermore such a system is completely non-sectarian, in other words one can belong to any and all religions or even be non-religious. There is no necessity to believe in God.

I believe this to be the most positive and peaceful method of education possible. If it can deliver the sort of academic results I believe it can then it should become the future system for education on this planet and replace the European militaristic system.


7. A new perspective – an experimental alternative school based on Yoga and the local environment

In my opinion the school day should begin with yoga postures followed by meditation to bring the young students into a state of calm mind to develop their concentration capabilities. First lessons should be of maths followed by science when the mind is most aware and focused to logic. Asana postures should follow every break. Then languages, humanities and finally followed by arts and sport.

Teaching should be organically based. Flexible and flowing. Students working at multiple levels on many tasks – according to ability. Team teaching using at least 2 teachers to take each class. Classes to be broken into groups according to students capacity and wishes. Maximum 15 students per class, except when team teaching maximum 15 per teacher. More concrete modelling, and games to learn concepts up to Year 10. Interactivity with other areas of learning i.e. combining maths classes with science – learning trigonometry with physics. Geography with history and maths – Biloela’s history combined with its location and using maths compass orientation to work out how the area was settled, etc. More holistic less compartmentalised.

Indeed why teach trigonometry to those Year 9 students of lesser ability in Biloela who most likely will never use this concept in their adult life. When half the students can barely understand how to do it let alone see what purpose it is to serve them later. Fair enough stream the maths and teach the kids who are going onto higher education these concepts, but what is the point of torturing students who are never going to go to university and study maths this level of knowledge when they are having problems multiplying and dividing. Is it not surprising they feel a level of hopelessness and hence rebel? How about teaching those kids something they can do and can get success in? If they are going on to do apprenticeships and may well use basic maths there then ORIENT the maths to these kids for what they NEED FOR AN APPRENTICESHIP – this may include trigonometry! BUT teach it at that level – for instance take them out to the power station and show how when piping subsides in the ground and needs to be jacked up to a horizontal level, trig can be used to work out how much to jack up each section. Then get them to work it out using the trig. OR take them orienteering and get them to work out compass bearings and places using geometry. OR with a surveyor working on a civil engineering project in Biloela or even a building site or roadworks. Or on a boat trip or to the local aerodrome and have navigation explained where they work it out, plot it and get the boat there.

No doubt the reaction to this will be too expensive, too much trouble and too hard to control the students. It is easier to keep them in the classroom. But is it? Lack of innovative lateral thinking in the system produces that same lack of inspiration in students. Catching student enthusiasm by making teaching relevant to the local area needs to be instituted. For instance setting problems to be solved that are about Biloela or the mine or power station here. I produced a maths revision sheet for Year 8 attempting to do this, but the textbook hardly referred to Queensland.


8. The Resignation

The school’s general acceptance of student apathy can be summed up in the following incident. In my Year 11 SAP (study) classes the students did no work and said they had nothing to do. When I asked other teachers about this they told me if they do not want to do anything let them. Students in SAP would get up and leave the class without permission. Moved around and talked. In my last class [Wed 7/9] half were at exams and most wanted to go to the library so I said we would all go there. The entire class bar one student disappeared. I wrote on my absent list that discipline in the school was lax and sent this to the administration. The next day [Thr 8/9] John came up to me very angry and said that the students were not there because they were at an exam. I did not explain to him that this was not why I had made the comment because I believed at that stage John had decided not to support me anymore. The next day [Fri 9/9] I was asked to resign.

I spoke to the guidance officer confidentially after school on the second last day of term [Thu 8/9]. I understand he did not keep this confidence, I told him I was considering resigning. He told me that relationships with the students were the most important consideration. He said do not worry about getting through the syllabus until I had the relationships developed. I told him I was very stressed. Once I was almost shaking after a class and had had trouble thinking at times during it – the Year 9 Maths [Mon 5/9]. I said I seemed to be getting into a ‘did, you didn’t’ argument with the students. He told me not to argue with them, and just agree with them, not take it personally and survive.


Ian asked me into his office at the end of the term [Fri 9/9] after the last period and at about 3.30 pm I entered his office. He asked me, ‘What would you like to do?’ I was a little surprised but assumed he was talking about whether I should stay at the school and said ‘what would you like me to do?’ he replied, ‘I think it is in your best interests to resign.’ I said ‘would that be in the best interests of the students and the school?’ he said, ‘no, it was in my best interests.’ He said he was concerned that I was under too much stress. I asked him whether he thought I should continue teaching. He said he did not know, as he believed I had not sorted out the management of the classroom, so he said he had no grounds to know whether I could teach the content. He said a fresh start in another school would be best, perhaps doing some supply teaching for short periods first. He said, it would probably be best for me to return to Victoria where I had friends and family to support me. He said Biloela was a small fairly isolated community which I had not fitted into. I asked him if he had sufficient grounds to terminate my contract. He said not as yet, but it would be in my best interests to leave. I said I had to consider not just my health, but also career and economic situation.

I asked Ian if he believed in God. He replied how was that relevant. I said if I believed what he was telling me was coming from God then I would be much more willing to trust it. He said he had his own belief in God that it was not Christian, but followed Christian values.

I asked him what would happen if I did not resign. He said I would very likely be terminated within 2 weeks from the start of the term. That the students were unforgiving. He said he was concerned a major incident might occur. He did not specify what this would be. He said if I was terminated that it would be very bad for my record and effect me getting employment with Queensland Education. I asked what would happen if I resigned and applied for teaching positions in Queensland, he said it would probably be better for me to work in Victoria. He then asked me to resign and asked me if I could sign the paperwork now. I hesitated, and he said he would give me 24 hours.

I felt under enormous pressure to resign, however I said I needed time to think about it and had to consider my career. That it would be harder to get a job if I did not have one, that I had been unemployed for a long time. I asked him if I could have time to look for another job. He said he would give me a week. [He also assured me I would be paid until the end of the holidays if I resigned. There were no witnesses present at the meeting, however immediately after the meeting I told one of the senior male PE teachers I had been asked to resign. I also rang my mother. The next day I told members of the 7th Day Adventist Church in Biloela who recommended I get advice from the Union].

I said that I felt I was getting the classes under control. That in BCT Year 11, I had used a seating plan and that the students were quiet, even if unhappy about it. He said they may be quiet but he doubted if they were learning anything. I said I had checked individually every student in the class, and they were more than up to date on their material and understanding of it, (except for one student, who I started to arrange to get assistance from one of the better students, as she appeared uncomfortable with me assisting her). He looked surprised.

When I left that day at about 4 pm the head of PE spoke to me and asked if I was returning. I told him I had been asked to resign. He looked shocked. I went home and cried. I believed my career as a teacher had been severely damaged unfairly. I rang my mother and told her what had happened. I spoke to a number of people I knew from the Christian churches about the situation. They told me I should consult the Union.

In the next week I consulted the Union on Wednesday who told me that the school could terminate the contract for any reason at any time. On Thursday I contacted a lawyer in Biloela who told me to contact the Education Department, the community legal service in Rockhampton and Education Queensland speaking to Kirsty [Thur 15/9] in from Workforce Relations in Brisbane and then Mr Coleman [Fri 16/9] in Rockhampton. Kirsty told me that there were a number of procedures before a teacher on a contract could be terminated and that the Department had to be consulted before this could happen. She told me Ian had acted improperly. She told me that if relations had broken down to such an extent it would not be advisable to stay at the school, the Department would attempt to relocate the teacher or if this was not possible pay out the contract. Education Queensland told me that Ian could not and should not have done what he did, and Mr Coleman told me I should not resign and that Ian and John were temporarily leaving the school so I would not have to worry about them. I asked him if I could have my relocation expenses paid if I resigned, he replied ‘no’ and he said that it was possible that the department could ask for my expenses to go there to be repaid, however he told me that this would most likely not be requested if I did resign. I told him that there were practical considerations I had to take into account. That if the school had that opinion of me that it could be more damaging for me to continue, that I needed the support of the school and without it I could not see how I could succeed in an already difficult situation with the students. I came to the conclusion that as the school had done nothing about McGoffin and honored his contract, who I had replaced and the classes had been in a much worse state under him, that the reason I was being asked to resign had little to do with my ability to manage the classroom, or my own well being and that in fact the reason was that I was seen as a troublemaker who was not willing to accept the dismal state of affairs of student behaviour in the school.

I decided to resign and rang Ian that Friday [16/9]. I asked for my expenses back to Victoria. He said that should be alright and he would ring me Monday. I rang him Monday [19/9] and he asked me if I had spoken to Education Queensland and other people about resigning I said yes. He then said he had not asked me to resign and denied that he said I would most likely be terminated if I returned. We had a discussion about what occurred and he denied he had said these things. I could not believe that he could lie about this. He told me he would ring Education Queensland and find out about the expenses. He rang back the next day [20/9] saying they would not pay them. I then asked him ‘could I get this clear Ian, did you think it is in my best interests to resign?’ and he replied, ‘you have to make that decision’. He said the school would offer support if I stayed. At this stage I can say that I had lost all trust in Ian. I replied that I was now extremely confused and would ring him back later. I was in the process of purchasing a ticket to Melbourne and flew there. I rang on Wednesday [21/9] and left a message saying I had not made up my mind yet, and on that Friday [23/9] I left a message at the school and on his mobile and resigned. I also received a call from Rockhampton Education Queensland on Friday and told them that it would be in their best interests to start looking for another teacher.

I believe that it was impossible for me to return to that school in all these circumstances. The following Tuesday or thereabouts [Tue 27/9], I spoke to Kirsty at Education Queensland Workforce Relations (who I had spoken to before [on 16/9] and had told me that where a situation with the school had broken down to such an extent that the relationship was unworkable that the remainder of a teacher’s contract could be paid out). When I spoke to her again she had spoken to Ian. Her attitude had changed and she told me that Ian had never said he wanted me to resign and that I had breached my contract by resigning and then she tried to trick me into saying that I had not given a weeks notice and would have to pay back a weeks pay, despite the fact Ian had asked me to resign two weeks before and I had told Ian I would resign a week before I left if I had my relocation expenses paid. Further she said I may have to pay back the cost of my expenses to move to Biloela to the Education department (the repayment of my airfare was requested on the 7 October) and would not be paid to relocate back to Melbourne. Her manner was antagonistic and very different from the first time I had spoken. I asked for a process of review. She told me to not ask for her help as there was a conflict of interest. She gave me an address to send a letter requesting an investigation.

[The department then requested all travel expenses and salary paid from the last day of term amounting to approximately $2,500. I contacted the Department and told them that I had been assured by Ian Garvey, the Principal of Biloela that if I did resign I would be paid to the end of the holidays and would receive travel expenses back to Melbourne. I was told that the Department wanted the money back and if I had simply worked one day of the next term then resigned I would have received that salary for the holidays. I then decided to send a letter to the Minister on 19 October 2005, because in my opinion the Education Department had crossed all boundaries of fair, reasonable and just behaviour. I was also very concerned about the state of the Education system in not just Biloela High School but in Queensland and believed I could assist in implementing changes to improve it in relation to student behaviour. Concerned about the failure of response to my claim and the being more concerned about the state of student welfare in the education system than money, on 1 May 2006, I emailed the Minister offering to concede the claim if he agreed to start up an experimental school implementing my ideas about student behaviour and motivation which I could head:-
“Dear Sir
I want to resolve this matter with the Education Department. I am prepared to concede every point and give whatever money the Department wants and drop my case completely, if the Department would be open to starting an experimental school based on a yoga system in Queensland with myself as headmaster and co-ordinator of the program and syllabus.
If you are not interested in this option then I will go to the United States with this idea. I will also proceed with legal action and media coverage of the situation in Biloela High School.
I attach a similar letter to the one I sent the Minister last year in relation to Biloela in case you have misplaced it.
Could you get back to me asap? I have not received a response to my last five emails.
regardsJames Travers-Murison LLB. BA. (Monash) Dip. FTW&P (Aus. Coll. Journ.) Grad. Dip. Ed. (Aus. Cath. Univ.)”
I was in India at the time looking at alternative schools using yoga methods to teach and two weeks later I went to California and investigated yoga based high schools there. I received a response to the investigation in June 2006 from the Director General stating in effect my offer was absurd and that new schools would only be started due to population growth or strategic plans and be headed by those on the basis of merit. I consulted lawyers in July and rang John Coleman on August 11 2006 who told me the decision could not be reversed accept by the Director General. I emailed the Director-General imploring him to consider investigating creating such a school with myself as a researcher into its merits and viability.

It seems an investigation into the state of student behaviour in Biloela High School (and also for the entire state as I believe the problem is endemic in the education system itself) usng a research study into the alternative methods of education I have suggested using Yoga as a base, with a view to creating an experimental school is out of the question according to the Director-General and the Minister. Their response that no school would be created unless government strategy supported it seems to overlook the fact that the department makes the strategy, so in effect the department could and should be investigating strategies to improve student management and hopefully are doing this. Their seemed to be no conception by the department that the ideas I have expressed in my letter may prove useful in improving the situation and could be taken up in forming strategic plans. In fact arguably the idea of an experimental school to improve student behaviour and results is probably not just within the scope of their strategic plans but if not would be negligent not to be in their strategic plans given the current dismal state of student behaviour. The Director-General’s response is typical of an organization’s higher management that has developed a smug complacency to inefficiency and hides behind jargon words like ‘our strategic plans’ to avoid considering anything different, original or outside their set paradigm. In a word these people are simply a perpetuating replica of the stultified Prussian based system they were educated in and unconsciously cling like grim death to keeping it in place, regardless of the fact that society may well have advanced beyond its value system and therefore usefulness.

As predicted Education Queensland cannot see that a yoga system based school may be consistent with where the general public is at anyway.
1. Yoga is practised everywhere by many Australians.
2. The third highest immigrants [after NZ and UK] are Indians and fourth Chinese, who would be very open to a yoga based education system. Judging by the fact that Chinese and Indian students perform much better than any other students suggests that perhaps their culture of yoga and meditation may be an influencing factor which needs further investigation to improve our education system.
3. Meditation is generally recognised as an important tool to control the mind by almost all scientific authorities and is widely practised in Australia.
4. Vegetarian diet is prevalent in Australia, growing exponentially and is environmentally far less damaging and uses less resources, furthermore countless research shows its beneficial effects on the health, including 50% less degenerative diseases by vegetarians. With obesity at 30% amongst school children this is an obvious solution.

Education Queensland needs to completely review the RTC system of discipline with a view to creating a system that -
1. puts students in a position where they are involved in creating the system and enforcing it so taking responisibility for their actions so that they actually change their behaviour.
2. is kind and compassionate and is worded and enforced as such in its dialogue.
3. insists that plans made by students are fulfilled
4. streamlines paperwork for the teacher and is simple and easy to impose.
5. has minimum interference on teaching time and in fact reinforces teaching.
6. creates a spirit of cooperation between teacher and student and the class as a whole.
7. creates an atmosphere that gives inspiration and hope to students and does not take them away from being taught in the class so getting further behind. For instance rather than being placed in a room to write a plan, being sent for remedial help in learning if appropriate.
8. a system of discipline that applies to areas outside the classroom. A system for dealing with playground misbehaviour that adopts similar strategies as a revised RTC. For instance playing with the students rather than sitting as a security guard come spy over them in the playground duty. Only once did I see a teacher engage with the students in this manner and it was the only time I saw a positive loving and happy connection between teacher and student in the playground duty.
9. a system of behaviour management that creates a loving and nurturing environment for the student where the teacher is seen as friend and mentor, a partner working together with the student.

They also need to investigate different forms of teaching environment from standard square, all seated in rows classes. Different styles and shapes of classroom seating including the New York Henderson technique using large round table used in Melbourne Grammar in humanities and many prestigious private schools in the USA.
1. Consider ergonomics of class.
2. Environmental impact reducing energy use.
3. Spinal and back health of students in seating and movement. Knee based seats for instance.
4. Dynamic style classes allowing fluidity and movement within the class assessing student attention span and ability to remain sitting for fixed lengths of time and the health consequences of this immobility contributing to for instance obesity and lack of proper exercise.
5. Multiple intelligences incorporated within the class design.
6. Information technology built into the classroom set up.
7. Merging multi discipline teaching and team teaching in formulating classroom design.


Such a school could be surveyed amongst the general population to determine if sufficient numbers of parents would be interested in putting their children in such a school. If there were sufficient numbers a school could be justified. These are just some of ideas that the Director-General in the Smart State sees of no benefit. In fact EQ has cut all funding to alternative schools such as the Maleny based Sudbury school called Borrobin. Rather than work with such schools to see if they offer ideas to change the current system they simply try and close them down. This school allows students to determine their own discipline system and determine their own curriculum using a form of participatory democracy to elect teachers.

I have spent the last two years investigating alternative schools in Australia, NZ, India and California. Yoga based schools teaching children at Ananda in California gains higher results across all areas than high schools and produces more peaceful, loving and broadminded individuals who cope better in the world. Statistics on their past students prove this. The school in Auroville, India also shows this result. The last 15 years I have been practicing yoga and mediation and have tried many different systems. I received a high distinction in psychology at Monash University. My education in psychology, history, law and media, with two degrees and two diplomas reinforces my credentials to research this area which could be included in a higher degree thesis.

Yet Education Queensland as the Smart State whose Premier has stated that providing the brains for Asia through education is the way for Australia, ironically can not see any benefit in researching the possibilities of such a school or the potential consequences for drastically altering the entire educational paradigm for the benefit of humanity. An innovative research project role in conjunction with the strategic development departments and other department and University researchers would constitute the most effective manner for bringing this about.

I implored EQ to keep an open mind on this matter and try and see the merit in such a project - to see beyond the square – but in line with their dull faceless Kafkaesque intransigence they did not even bother replying. This would not be a repeat of the open classrooms of the seventies, but an entirely new system that would improve student discipline and behaviour as part of its moral code. Australia is a leader in tertiary education, this may make it a leader in secondary education, however because of Beattie’s failure to turn his talk into action within his departments, this opportunity may well be lost.

This investigation appeared to be a whitewash where I was never even interviewed.

I brought the matter to the QIRC for unfair dismissal where it was rejected at conference on the basis of being a short term contract so the commission had no jurisdiction.

I then brought the matter to Workcover for stress injury. Again I was never interviewed in the investigation and my witnesses were not contacted or interviewed and EQ's witnesses made false statements in particular in relation to the previous teacher, McGoffin, teachers observing my classes which never occurred and student behaviour at the school. Furthermore prior to this review I attempted to contact my witnesses and was blocked by the school. I went through EQ and was told by EQ that the witnesses could not remember me or could not be located. I believe I was prevented from speaking to them by the school and EQ as they would have assisted my case and shown that Garvey improperly asked me to resign and that discipline was a problem at that school and in my classes under the previous teacher. The support teacher in my Year 9 Maths D had seen me teach and also McGoffin and had complained to me about McGoffin coming in with a hangover and not teaching the kids. EQ told me that the school could not find in their records who the support teacher was for Year 9 Maths D, which I believe to be a lie. The middle aged male PE teacher who I spoke to immediately after the resignation and about it, I was told by EQ that he did not want to speak to me. I wonder if they put any pressure on him not to? The workers compensation claim was dropped by myself due to QComp threatening to saddle me with $30,000 in legal fees if I continued. In the discovery process EQ and QComp refused to disclose virtually any documentation I asked for, including attempts to locate witnesses. They also objected to students testifying. After thorough legal research when it became apparent that the information I was requesting was relevant and their objections spurious, EQ agreed to drop their claim for breach of contract, however they have not agreed to compensate me for losing the contract which had 8 weeks of work to run. I was forced out of the contract due to an unfair dismissal by the principal. It is now going before the Queensland Ombudsman. It is clear that there is an underlying play here in this conflict which represents the struggle in UOCA's attempts to bring in the new education system and resistance in the old system to change. Please see www.experischool.blogspot.com]

9. Desired Outcome

As such, and because I had fulfilled in very difficult circumstances all that I was obliged to do as a beginning teacher and received inadequate support from the school and finally was pressured to resign in a manner unacceptable and against Queensland Education policy and guidelines, I request the following:-

1. Relocation costs back to Victoria. These have cost me at least $500.
2. I am still owed approximately $170 in expenses getting there – a claim for the $170 has been submitted to EQ.
3. Furthermore I have effectively been forced out of a contract and so have suffered income loss of the remainder of the contract wages. I would like to claim these.
4. I was paid one weeks additional salary to what I worked. However I have decided not to pay this back nor any travel expenses until this matter is settled. I enclose copy of a letter from the Education Department asking for the cost of the airfare to Biloela to be repaid.
5. I could claim damages for pain and suffering I have been put through and damage to reputation for losing my job in this manner. However if this matter is settled without court action I will forego this.
6. Furthermore I would like a written apology from the school and the Education Department for their disgraceful treatment of myself contrary to Department guidelines and a guarantee in writing that my employment prospects with Education Queensland will not be adversely affected by this matter.
7. An investigation into the state of student behaviour in Biloela High School (and also for the entire state as I believe the problem is endemic in the education system itself)
8. A proposed study into the alternative methods of education I have suggested using Yoga as a base, with a view to creating an experimental school. I am willing to assist with this.

If this is not forthcoming, as I am also a lawyer, I will take all necessary legal action. And as I am also a journalist, I will publicise to the full the situation that occurred in the school in the media.

Respectfully,



James Travers-Murison
Enclosure (1)
jtm