Violent fighting at Katherine High School leads to truancy officer patrols

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Shocking videos surfaced this week of violent fighting between school children at a Northern Territory public school. The videos, posted to social media have parents and authorities worried, with extra staff brought in to help monitor the situation in the school yard.

Transcript

00:00Reports of fighting at Catharines Public High School, drawing the attention of the NT's

00:07Education Minister.

00:08It has been extremely concerning, the level of violence in the schoolyard at the Catharines

00:14High School and it absolutely is not tolerated.

00:18Media reports in recent days have appeared to show violent brawls between students.

00:22I've asked the department for a full briefing on what's going on there and we have put support

00:27measures in with school attendance and engagement officers in the recess and lunch periods.

00:34The Labor opposition saying truancy officers were never meant to be stationed at schools.

00:39The Minister for Education is wanting to use the truancy officer position as a pseudo-security

00:44guard here in Catharines.

00:46I think that's extremely disappointing.

00:48I think that is an absolute breach of trust and confidence in those positions.

00:53In a letter to parents, the school's acting principal addressed a number of incidents

00:57that have occurred at Catharines High, saying there would be swift action, including for

01:02those found filming or otherwise contributing to such incidents, but also debunking some

01:07unverified claims on social media, saying, I can confirm no one has been stabbed at our school.

01:14Along with truancy officers keeping the peace at lunch, the school plans to reintroduce

01:18lockable pouches for kids to put their phones in during the school day, to help enforce

01:23the no phones policy.

01:25Staff and students must feel safe in their school environment.

01:29So by providing these extra measures from the department, it's just giving the school

01:34extra support, which is what they need at this time.

01:37The phone locking devices are expected to arrive next week.

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