Following last week’s acquittal of teacher, Peter Harvey, on the charge of attempted murder, teaching union NASUWT has warned that more needs to be done to recognise and support teachers with mental health problems.
Peter Harvey used a 3kg dumbbell to attack a 14-year-old pupil who had goaded him. The boy suffered a fractured skull. Last week mobile phone footage of the incident from another pupil’s phone was released.
Mr Harvey was cleared of attempted murder but pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm. He will be sentenced on 21 May. Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, said:
“The NASUWT is relieved on the behalf of Mr Harvey and his family that he has been acquitted of the most serious charges lodged against him.
“Mr Harvey had accepted from the outset that that he caused the pupil concerned grievous bodily harm. However, as the court heard, and the jury has now determined, there was no intent to cause any harm to any pupil in the class.
“The incident arose out of an explosive combination of events, a teacher who was in a fragile state of health and a group of pupils who recognised this and decided to exploit it.
“Any teacher who has had to deal with challenging and disruptive pupils will recognise, that given the combination of factors that applied in this case, how such a situation can easily spiral out of control.
“There are clearly lessons to be learned from this case. “Employers need to be far more sophisticated in recognising and supporting teachers with mental health problems. The NASUWT will be pressing the Government to look at the whole issue of sickness absence policies and the quality of support teachers are receiving.
“Pupils with a history of disruptive behaviour were a significant element in this case. How school behaviour policies and procedures deal with such behaviour needs to be reviewed.
“Once again inappropriate use of mobile technology in the hands of pupils raises its head and was a catalyst for a large part of the behaviour. Pupils were clearly playing to the camera.
“The NASUWT has welcomed guidance already issued on the use of mobile technology but it is clear all of this needs to be revisited in the light of this and other similar cases.”
