NSW education department documents reveal 55 disturbing incidents in Illawarra and South East region schools in the first half of this year.
CASE 1: Two parents entered school grounds at the end of the day and assaulted a year 7 girl, a year 8 boy and a year 10 girl. The year 10 girl suffered concussion and was taken to hospital while the boy’s lip was split. Later, the uncle of the year 8 boy came to the school and swore at staff, saying he was going to assault the two aggressors. It is believed the assault was the result of ongoing tensions between two families. The two parents have been charged.
■CASE 2: Information was obtained by a school that a student had sent an explicit photograph of themselves to another student using a mobile phone. It was claimed the second student sent the image to several students who then sent it on to others. Their phones were confiscated.
■CASE 3: Staff intercepted a female ex-student behaving suspiciously in the playground. The woman held a plastic bottle filled with a substance, believed to be kerosene, and threatened to burn the school down. The woman failed in her attempts to light the substance.
■CASE 4: A group of year 8 boys entered a building renovation site near a Wollongong school. Two of the boys smashed windows and caused other damage to the building, while the other boys stole two fire extinguishers. The teens gained access to the building by using keys they found in the school playground.
■CASE 5: A year 4 boy hit students and staff in the playground and was subsequently taken inside. He became violent and injured two staff, leaving one with significant foot and ankle injuries. Police were contacted, so the boy attempted to climb out the windows, causing considerable damage to the principal’s office.