A group of students at Baldivis Secondary College in Perth has been suspended after posting a video online that showed them tormenting a relief teacher during class. The footage, which was shared on TikTok and has since been deleted, captured students running rampant in the classroom, walking on desks, touching the teacher's hair, and blowing vape smoke in her face.
The incident, reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, raises uncomfortable questions about classroom discipline and the particular vulnerability of substitute teachers in Australian schools. Relief teachers often lack the established relationships and classroom presence that can deter misbehaviour, yet schools depend on them regularly to maintain teaching continuity.
Located 46 kilometres south of Perth in the Rockingham area, Baldivis Secondary College serves around 1,800 students. The school's values, as stated on its website, emphasise respect and partnership between students, teachers, and parents. Yet this incident suggests that stated values do not always translate into student conduct, particularly when a relief teacher faces a class without the authority that comes from regular classroom presence.
Research on classroom management shows that substitute teachers face particular challenges. Without the benefit of established relationships, the task of maintaining order can become daunting. Students may test boundaries more readily with someone they do not know. The decision to film and post the incident online amplifies the breach; it transforms a classroom disruption into a public mockery, shared for an audience.
The suspensions represent the school's formal response to documented misconduct. Yet the broader issue remains: what drives students to behave this way, and how can schools address the underlying dynamics? Schools across Australia have policies requiring fair and timely responses to conduct issues, but research suggests that effective classroom management extends beyond punishment. It requires clear boundaries, high expectations, and positive relationships.
Research published in the Australian Educational Researcher indicates that many Australian teachers report experiencing bullying from students, ranging from apparently harmless incidents to more serious and ongoing harassment. The vulnerability of relief teachers suggests they may be at particular risk. When behaviour is filmed and shared online, it adds a layer of public humiliation that can affect both the teacher and the broader school culture.
The incident also reflects a wider challenge: the role of social media in amplifying school misconduct. What might once have remained a private classroom problem now becomes a public spectacle. This shift has real consequences for both teachers and students, particularly when young people make decisions about what to post without fully considering the implications.
For schools like Baldivis, managing these incidents requires balancing accountability for student behaviour with recognition of the complex factors that drive it. The suspensions send a clear message about consequences. What remains to be seen is whether the school also addresses the underlying culture that made such behaviour seem acceptable to begin with.