In Wales, numerous cases of classroom violence are reported, a union informed that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Assaulted in many occasions, one school teacher, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she has been subjected to punching, headbutting, kicking, spitting and even biting. There are reports that teachers have had their hair set on fire.
he targeted staff felt unsupported, as the system responsible for reporting aggression were “a mess”, the NASUWT informed. Between 2018 and 2022, at least 5000 cases were recorded against school staff, according to data obtained by Welsh Tories.
New guidelines on collecting data and a national helpline for staff have been called for by the conservatives. The abuse of staff was completely unacceptable, said the Welsh government, while the councils were supportive of all school staff, informed by Welsh local government association (WLGA).
All schools should have a welcoming and safe environment for pupils and staff to go to work, informs by Jeremy Miles, Wales education minister to BBC radio Wales.
Violent attacks by pupils, with multiple facial punches, unfortunately there are certain school management that will not admit the violent conditions in their school. He added. The situation is even worse, when they receive no support from the management.
Accepting that there is a complex reason behind violent behavior, that can range from delays mental health assessment and treatment for young people, to tiredness by being on the phone all night are factors that may have contributed to current violent events.
He further stated that in primary and secondary school’s similar experiences have been reported by colleagues. Behavioral challenged children and working with them in special school should not include assault as part of the territory.
A teacher from Swansea, reported to BBC radio Wales, of receiving verbal abuse after he requested a pupil to remove his airpods during a lesson. Teachers are faced with zero power to do anything, he informed, and seemed to be an everyday occurrence in Wales education system. A zero tolerance is adopted for abuse in health services, not in education.
Members are faced with this violence in a daily basis in schools across Wales, an aggravating problem of the lack of support and recognition, which is believed to be a crucial part of the problem. Resulting in the increase in numbers who wished to leave the profession. This leads to the lack of staff to offer support to learners struggling and result to aggression.
An unsafe environment within the school, should be addressed by ensuring that schools relevant authorities are notifies and the required support made available. The scale of the problem should be identified in order to tackle it properly. Informed by authorities.
