Secondary college teachers hit back at ‘surprising’ claims

Two unnamed former student teachers, known as permission-to-teach teachers, were quoted as saying they had observed regular fights and bullying at the school and their experience teaching at the college had left them burnt out.

In response, the college’s executive principal, Barbara O’Brien, and five teachers of varying levels of experience and responsibility contacted the News to defend the school.

Ms O’Brien said the Herald Sun had not contacted the school for a response and that she was “surprised” by the claims in the article.

“We supported them (student teachers) along the way with anything they were feeling at the time or any issues they were having at the time and at no point did anyone say to us that they were really struggling to the point where they felt they were going to leave teaching as a result of it,” she said.

Ms O’Brien said La Trobe University, through which the school’s permission-to-teach teachers had been supplied, had also offered its support.

“They also kept in close contact with our pre-service teachers and our permission-to-teach teachers last year and said from all of the reports they were given, they had a great experience,” Ms O’Brien said.

Ms O’Brien said the five teachers, who spoke with the News, were among dozens who had volunteered to speak out in favour of the school’s support for staff and students.

Assistant principal of curriculum and pedagogy Stacy Lundberg, who has three of his children at the school, was among them.

“I've been with GSSC since we began and prior to that I was at McGuire College (in Shepparton) for 10 years,” she said.

“They have more choices. They have more options. They are part of a really caring community.”

Jayde Robinson is a permission-to-teach university student working at the school, after developing an interest in teaching while working in administration at the former McGuire College.

While admitting there can be heated moments with students, Ms Robinson said she was “definitely not” discouraged from pursuing the profession.

“I think one of the greatest assets that we have at Greater Shepparton Secondary College is the relationships that we have with our students,” she said.

“There’s going to be issues that come up every now and then, but because we’ve built those strong relationships, you can have the conversation about it and while it might get a bit frustrating for the student and they get a bit heated or something, it’s not directed at us, it’s directed at the situation, but we work through it together.”

A house leader, Francesca Corbo, taught at Mooroopna Secondary College before the merger and is now in charge of behaviour management and wellbeing, looking after students for Years 7 to 9.

“I moved here after 21 years at another school and I wouldn't look back. I wouldn't want to go back. I wouldn't want to leave,” she said.

A teacher of Years 7 and 8 mathematics, Matt Cameron is new to the school in 2023.

He admitted to there being challenges for both students and teachers at the school, but believed the leadership was setting it up for a positive long-term future.

“My sister teachers at this school and I know for a fact that my mum and my dad are very, very proud that their children are teaching in a school and in an area where life might not be so easy, and that you can turn a blind eye to a need, whether it’s a community need, or you can stand up and play your part in that community and that’s how I feel they perceive me doing this job,” he said.

Connor Bragge teaches in the humanities department and is also in his first year at the school after experience working for wealthy international schools in Asia.

“I bounce out of bed and come to work every day and I’m 50-year- old, and I haven't felt that way in a while,” he said.

“I had started to have doubts about my energy levels, but coming here every day, it’s vibrant, it's happening. It’s never a dull moment, and I mean that in a good way.”