Figures on teacher assaults

[Corianda]

Listening to the local news today (I don’t usually) stated that a freedom of information request had divulged that 1300 public servants had been attacked at work in 2025 in the region - over 1000 of them teachers !!

This is D&Gslloway -a nice rural area.
I am just disgusted that the Gov thinks this is acceptable.

There was then a discussion about they number of primary teachers teaching in secondary schools in Aberdeen - not great.

My point is why does the SNP Gov get away with allowing this - and how badly is it affecting children’s’ futures

Are you serious?
Teachers can't give lines anymore. Or detention after school.
Teachers can't have a child excluded from their class despite knowing they are attacking others.

The south of Scotland -east to west is conservative - but if the Gov is mainly snp what can you achieve?

I had a great education in Scotland many moons ago / my sister , 7 years younger had a more liberal style -it’s what you write. Not how you write. In fact our whole primary school class went on to good jobs, secure futures -1960s - I now test DGCs on their tables and spelling - so sad today’s kids don’t get the same opportunity

I’m a teacher in Scotland used to be Primary now SEN, my last year of Primary was tough, class of 9 year olds, most mornings some of the boys would come in and immediately start fighting with each other or push tables over, causing me to have to send another child to SMT and evacuate the class. The perpetrators would be say in the Hats office on iPads or playing with LEGO. PE was so bad I had to have a member of SMT with me at all times, a boy punched a girl twice and it was insinuated it was an accident rather than phone home! I didn’t have any physical violence but regularly got called a paedophile which seemed to be their insult of choice.

Into SEN and it was a good day if I wasn’t kicked, scratched, hit, nipped, spat at, hair pulled out, breasts grabbed and pulled. With children with SEN you get it, you understand but the worst thing was the lack of support, I once showed a senior member of management my legs covered in bruises only to be told to wear tights at a night out. I have been asked my HPs if I am a victim of DV. Lack of staff and paying support staff peanuts do they don’t want to stay doesn’t help as does brushing it under the carpet, parents never told, no follow ups etc

We used to complete a form every time we suffered abuse - either verbal or physical from a pupil. These were meant to be forwarded to the Education Department as evidence.
There was a serious incident with police involvement for a child with a long list of incidents.

We were told there was no evidence to support this. The HT had never sent the forms away because he didn't want to make the school look bad.

Nothing was done about it as he was a golfing mate of the director of education

This is what i find appalling. That admitting to the violence - to the harm to teachers and pupils alike - is deemed as failing.

How are you underfunded?

If this was domestic violence there would be intervention and help, because it is seen in an educational setting it seems it not taken seriously. The teachers and pupils should not be experiencing this. Shocking.

We always used to wonder why there were signs in hospitals, retail places etc that say "Zero tolerance policy of any forms of violence towards our staff" yet anything goes in schools

Totally wrong that staff and pupils have no protection.

A colleague who'd been assaulted by a pupil was asked if she'd like to take part in talking therapy with her attacker.

Seriously?

@RaraRachael why are the Unions not a lot more proactive on protecting their members? Teaching is a heavily unionised profession and big unions have a lot of power. Unions are very involved in workforce safety in other areas of public sector so I’m always surprised the teaching unions aren’t. They seem to do surveys but they should be involved in investigating assaults and coming up with plans to keep the teacher safe from it happening again

Our local EIS held a meeting a couple of years ago when it was all, "We're not going to put up with any more of this etc" but I don't think much came of it. I've since retired but according to colleagues it's not any better.

The SNP don't seem to address thd issue yet they'd be doing something if they were being abused in the workplace.

Aberdeenshire do seem to be raising awareness and the public are actually agreeing with teachers for a change instead of saying teachers work from 9 to 3, all those holidays, babysitting blah blah.

I think there should be a nationwide strike but it hasn't happened.

It needs to focus on violence against children and adults in education buildings, not just teachers.

The only time anything was done about a violent pupil was when the mother of one of his victims threatened to go to the police and the press.

He was given a fresh start at another local school despite his mother's protestations that it was the school's fault for not meeting his needs.

Guess what- he was exactly the same there.

There's a school where supply teachers are only staying until morning break then going home because of the appalling behaviour and abuse.

Yes I agree at a wider level it needs to focus on both. But teachers pay their money to their Union to protect and stand up for THEM, not the children. The no. 1 priority of any union should be the health and safety of its members

Wow! Just wow!

No! That is the parents’ job. Teachers teach, parents parent.

Fixed that for you! 🙄

An EIS rep told me afew months ago they'd been campaigning on pay. Apparently, now that the pay rise is sorted, their next big campaign is going to be all about ASN support and behaviour. About time too! The rep said their campaign focus comes directly from member surveys, so it looks like they are finally actually listening to what's happening on the ground. Fingers crossed we see some actual change, as the current situation is unsustainable.

I was always under the impression that teachers could only go on strike over pay not their conditions. No idea if this is actually true

I moved my children out of a school last year because the behaviour of some of the kids was atrocious. One of my children was physically assaulted on multiple occasions. The head teacher wasnt interested in acknowledging some kids had poor behaviour in the school let alone dealing with it..Some of the parent's behaviour in the playground was diabolical to so it was obvious where the kids learned the bad behaviour from. My kids new school haa a far stricter head teacher and poor behaviour is addressed quickly. Parent's are told quickly to (they were not told in the last school). The difference is amazing and the staff seem well respected by the kids and parent.

If only the powers that be could get it into their thick heads that their precious inclusion policy isn't worth the paper it's written on.
Discipline and consequences are better for staff and pupils alike. It would soon show results.

The last strike ballot was the one on workload and class contact time so can’t be.

Because any sanction you try to apply has the parent on the phone yelling that their cherub was innocent/didn’t do it/didn’t mean it and refusing to allow their child to attend the (limited) sanctions we can put in place

PLUS it’s not my job to teach kids to behave. Parents need to parent

The Scottish government eradicated alternative provision with their presumption of mainstream. Councils can’t afford to run mainstream schools let alone behaviour units etc. The government and councils don’t care about education. I can’t afford to purchase stationary, glue sticks or specialist subject materials given my paltry budget. Textbooks? Ha! You can forget about those. How can I fund all that on £300 budget I get per year to cater to 200 pupils??

I also posted
"OldJohn · 23/07/2026 09:15
I annoyed a lot of people with my post that said that teachers should teach and keep discipline. I was shocked by a few responses saying that parents do not support the school. I wrongly assumed that parents would support the school as I wrongly assumed that parents want their children to do well in life
I certainly did not intend to insult all teachers who work hard and try to help the pupils."

From my 20+ years experience, in recent years (post covid) parents never support the school. Their cherubs get on their mobile phones texting excuses and teacher bashing so by the time the school contacts the parent, parent is going bat crap crazy and won’t engage or support the school. Your first post was inaccurate, hence my quoting you. I’m glad you’ve come to realise it’s changed days in education.

Does it?
Not in the state system.
And if primary teachers are so good at teaching students with SEN, why are they arriving at secondary school, without knowing the basics?
Why didn’t they get taught that in primary school?.
In the English system, you specialise and qualify in a subject. If you want to further your career in SEN, you need to look at further training.