New data from NASUWT Cymru shows that increasing numbers of physical assaults on teachers are having a major effect on teacher wellbeing.
The Violence and Aggression in Schools reports, which combine new and recent NASUWT data with data from Local Authorities, suggest that violent assaults from pupils are increasing, teachers are not adequately supported to deal with the assaults, and the crisis may be contributing to increased numbers of teacher absences from work due to poor mental health.
The report found that:
- Welsh local authorities received 6446 violent incident reports from schools in 2023-24, compared to 4714 the previous year.
- Violent incidents in schools have more than doubled in the last three years.
- 35.5% of teachers had experienced physical abuse or violence from learners in the last year, and 92% had experienced verbal abuse.
- 52% of teachers surveyed said that fighting is a daily or weekly problem at their school.
- 97% of teachers had witnessed pupils fighting, but less than half would intervene for fear of being embroiled in a child protection issue that may threaten their employment.
- 79% of teachers said that verbal and physical abuse from pupils affected their morale, 65% said it increased their stress levels, and 55% said it made them consider leaving teaching.
“It is clear that learner behaviour in Wales has reached crisis point. Aggression from pupils is now commonplace in schools.
“Teachers tell us that poor pupil behaviour is negatively affecting their morale, their enthusiasm for the job, and in many cases their health. 55% of teachers in our survey have considered leaving teaching due to poor learner behaviour. This isn’t going to improve the recruitment and retention crisis faced by the teaching profession – it’s going to make it worse.
“Our schools must be safe environments for teachers and pupils. This is a basic requirement for any place of work or learning. If we want to build a world-leading education system, we should not be forced to spend our time fighting for basic rights.”
Neil Butler, National Official for Wales, said:
“We cannot allow violence and aggression to be normalised in school settings. Government inaction has left teachers and pupils vulnerable to physical and verbal abuse. Without access to adequate support, pupils exhibiting aggressive behaviour are likely continue down that dangerous path.
“The range of concerning behaviours seen in pupils has expanded to a worrying degree. Teachers report increases in misogynistic abuse, attacks with weapons, and online threats and allegations from pupils that cause severe levels of stress.
“We now face a moment of reckoning. The Welsh school system must be overhauled to reflect pupils’ increasingly complex needs. We need more specialist education facilities, and mainstream schools require significant resources and funding to put into place robust behaviour policies and increased lower level support for affected pupils.
“We look forward to working with the government at the upcoming Behaviour Summit to put into place world-leading measures to tackle the urgent and unsustainable level of violence and aggression in our schools.”
