More than 33,000 attacks on teachers have been recorded in Scotland in the last five yearsbut fears remain that the majority of incidents are going unreported.
Former Dundee maths teacher Mike Barile, who successfully appealed a conviction for assaulting two aggressive pupils, claims the figure of over 3000 attacks in the city is “only the tip of the iceberg” and has called for a change in procedure for reporting such attacks.
Data released under freedom of information has revealed at least 33,272 incidents in Scotland between the 2004/05 term and 2008/09, with Aberdeen reporting 3734 attacks, followed by Fife on 3645, Edinburgh on 3285 and Dundee on 3165.
A Dundee City Council spokesman said the education department condemns violence and takes attacks on teachers “extremely seriously.”
However Mr Barile, who was admonished in March after it was found he was subjected to “extreme abuse” by the two pupils, has now accused head teachers of “sitting on figures” and warned that many teachers are “terrified to speak out” about classroom violence.
He said, “Of course having over 3000 attacks is totally unacceptable, but it is only the tip of the iceberg because most incidents are going unreported.
“Head teachers are sitting on figures because they don’t want a bad report, and staff are receiving absolutely no feedback when they do process a form.False situation”It is a completely false situation in schools. There needs to be a radical rethink in the system. There has to be some kind of process or an independent interview that takes place when concerns like these are raised.
“The teachers’ union don’t want schools getting bad reports, so the schools are just completely ignoring it.
“Even if these incidents were reported the schools don’t have enough sanctions available so they can only suspend them or kick them out into society to run amok.”
Last year Dundee teachers were subjected to violence on 276 occasions, with more than half of those attacks carried out by primary pupils.
A total of 142 incidents against primary teachers were recordedup 25% on the previous 12 monthswhile there were 104 cases in secondary schools.
Special, off-site and behavioural schools accounted for 29 incidents, and one was recorded in pre-school.
Mr Barile advocates CCTV being brought into classrooms to capture flash-points, and said tougher punishment and disciplinary measures must be brought in.
He added, “Some children just want to be accelerated through the punishment system because they know that when they get to the head teacher they are just going to get a cuddle and be told not to do it again.”
The Dundee education department spokesman said, “The city council condemns violence against its staff.
“The education department always regards the issue of attacks on teachers extremely seriously.
“Staff are encouraged to report any violent incidents, and every one is considered carefully by the department.
“Schools work to make sure that pupils displaying unacceptable behaviour are dealt with appropriately.”
Meanwhile Fife’s largest teaching union has played down a suggestion that the region has the second most violent schools in Scotland.SensationalistSecretary of the Fife association of the EIS union Mike Birkett described the report as “sensationalist” and said serious incidents in the classroom were “very, very rare.”
“Fife has made tremendous efforts to try to ensure that all incidents are correctly recorded, so our statistics are probably the most accurate in the country,” he said.
“We are very happy that strenuous efforts are made in Fife to make sure things are recorded accurately and it is really as a result of that that we have come in for criticism.
“It is not the case that our figures are higher than other local authorities but rather that they are not recording incidents accurately.”
Mr Birkett said the raw figures did not reflect the reality, which was that most incidents are fairly minorand the statistics included incidents in special schools, where young people may lack control as a result of a physical or mental condition.
Councillor Douglas Chapman is chairman of Fife’s education and children’s services committee and he said the region was “ahead of the game” when it came to reporting violent incidents in the classroom and the figures should be treated with caution.
However, he said the council regarded attacks on school staff very seriously and there were procedures to ensure they were dealt with accordingly.DisappointingThe figures also show that from 2004 until last year, 1389 incidents of violence towards staff have taken place in council-run schools in Perth and Kinross.Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has described the results as “disappointing and disheartening.”
“I strongly believe that one attack on a teacher is one attack too many, be it physical or verbal and pupils must be disciplined or expelled for their unruly behaviour,” he said.
However, these figures have been defended by Perth and Kinross Council, with leader Councillor Ian Miller criticising Mr Fraser for being “out of touch” with reality.
He told The Courier that the results show how as little as 0.3% of pupils from nursery, primary and secondary schools are ever involved in a violent incident and that the year-on-year reductions equated to a 35% reduction in assaults.
A statement from the local authority was also issued, which said, “Violence against teachers in our schools is rare, but when disciplinary problems do arise the council deals with the pupils concerned swiftly and appropriately.”
The Dundee education department spokesman said, “The city council condemns violence against its staff.
“The education department always regards the issue of attacks on teachers extremely seriously.
“Staff are encouraged to report any violent incidents, and every one is considered carefully by the department.
“Schools work to make sure that pupils displaying unacceptable behaviour are dealt with appropriately.”
Meanwhile Fife’s largest teaching union has played down a suggestion that the region has the second most violent schools in Scotland.SensationalistSecretary of the Fife association of the EIS union Mike Birkett described the report as “sensationalist” and said serious incidents in the classroom were “very, very rare.”
“Fife has made tremendous efforts to try to ensure that all incidents are correctly recorded, so our statistics are probably the most accurate in the country,” he said.
“We are very happy that strenuous efforts are made in Fife to make sure things are recorded accurately and it is really as a result of that that we have come in for criticism.
“It is not the case that our figures are higher than other local authorities but rather that they are not recording incidents accurately.”
Mr Birkett said the raw figures did not reflect the reality, which was that most incidents are fairly minorand the statistics included incidents in special schools, where young people may lack control as a result of a physical or mental condition.
Councillor Douglas Chapman is chairman of Fife’s education and children’s services committee and he said the region was “ahead of the game” when it came to reporting violent incidents in the classroom and the figures should be treated with caution.
However, he said the council regarded attacks on school staff very seriously and there were procedures to ensure they were dealt with accordingly.DisappointingThe figures also show that from 2004 until last year, 1389 incidents of violence towards staff have taken place in council-run schools in Perth and Kinross.Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has described the results as “disappointing and disheartening.”
“I strongly believe that one attack on a teacher is one attack too many, be it physical or verbal and pupils must be disciplined or expelled for their unruly behaviour,” he said.
However, these figures have been defended by Perth and Kinross Council, with leader Councillor Ian Miller criticising Mr Fraser for being “out of touch” with reality.
He told The Courier that the results show how as little as 0.3% of pupils from nursery, primary and secondary schools are ever involved in a violent incident and that the year-on-year reductions equated to a 35% reduction in assaults.
A statement from the local authority was also issued, which said, “Violence against teachers in our schools is rare, but when disciplinary problems do arise the council deals with the pupils concerned swiftly and appropriately.”