What most people don’t realise is just how much effort most teachers put into shaping students into the young Australians we need in the years to come. 

They aren’t just educators, but counsellors, nurses and much more. 

Their roles are often changed and parents will blame them when their child misbehaves or isn’t getting the marks they believed are deserved. 

Last week, much to the horror of many, it was revealed teachers have been told to “dob” in fat students to welfare workers, under a new Education Department edict that classifies obesity as a “child protection issue’’.

All staff in state public schools — including teachers, administrative workers and groundskeepers — are being given mandatory training “focused on obesity as a child protection issue’’, the department has revealed.

Not only is this another responsibility for teachers, but it’s down right ridiculous. 

How many of those in the workforce today can admit to being a little overweight as a child and simply “grew out of it”. 

It wasn’t a case of being abused by parents, but most likely the opposite. 

Having teachers dob in an obese child to help with the so-called obesity crisis not only singles out this student, but could potentially do a lot of damage to a family. 

Sure, if it looks like a child is being abused – definitely report it, but an overweight child – it’s wrong for teachers to be put in this position. 

Doctors have also blasted the decision and rightly so. 

It’s evident Australia is already a nanny state, but this just takes the cake. 

Next thing, bosses in the work place will be forced to dob in their “overweight” or “obese” staff. 

Sure, these conditions do place a strain on the health industry across the country, but this appears to have gone a step too far. What is the education department thinking? 

Surely there are more important things they need to be focusing on? For example, teaching students how to spell, read and write. 

We all know the social media generation struggles with these simple tasks. It’s time the department stopped placing extra burden on teachers.