What about the teacher's rights?

Normally I drive to work and therefore I don't spend much time on any form of public transport. When I went away for a few days during the recent half-term break, I caught a bus and then a train to the airport. I noticed signs and posters everywhere. On walls, windows, cash desks, information desks, check-in desks etc, etc:


"Our staff have the right to work without fear of assault or harassment."

"Verbal and/or physical abuse of our staff will not be tolerated."

"We seek to prosecute anyone who attacks the people who work here."


I have seen similar things in hospitals, GP surgeries, banks, supermarkets and even post-offices. Basically almost anywhere that has members of the public as customers. All of these signs and posters are designed to hammer home one very clear, distinctive message.

My colleagues and I are confronted with verbal absue on a daily basis, as well as occasional incidents of physical abuse. Why are we not afforded the same protection? Are my rights less valuable than those of a doctor, a cashier, a flight attendant, a bus driver and a postal worker? I certainly don't think so. Yet teachers are forced to tolerate the sort of abuse that these other workers would not dream of putting up with. The only possible explantion that I can think of is that we, the teachers and school employees, are primarily dealing with children and therefore the assumption is that these children cannot be held responsible for their actions in the same way that an adult would be. Ok. That makes sense to a certain extent. Perhaps the signs and posters in my class room and around the school ought to read:


"Our teachers have the right to work without fear of disobedience and defiance."

"Constant arguing with teachers will not be tolerated."

"We will seek to prosecute the parents/guardians of those students who choose to verbally and physically abuse the staff who work here."