There are claims that school teachers are being driven away from the profession due to a growing number of problem parents who are threatening or harassing staff.

WA Primary Principals Association president Niel Smith, who voiced his concerns in a letter to Education Minister Sue Ellery (inset above), told Gareth Parker on 6PR Breakfast that some school leaders were forced to resort to taking out violence restraining orders against problem parents, who increasingly have more contact with teachers thanks to modern technology.

Breakfast listener and 10-year teacher Mick told Parker he believes part of the problem with rising parent aggressiveness was that too much autonomy was given to school children at a young age.

“We’ve gone from a teacher-centred approach to a child-centred approach… quite often young students are going home telling parents they’ve been treated poorly … when in fact they’ve not and I think it has to do with how we look at education today,” he said.

LISTEN to caller Mick’s views and Niel Smith on technology’s impact 👇