Punched, kicked, spat at... sickening abuse faced by HALF of female teachers

Nearly half of female teachers have suffered physical abuse or violence from pupils in Scotland’s schools in the past year, new research has revealed.

SNP ministers have been urged to take tougher action on the rising tide of violence in the classroom as a survey uncovered cases of female teachers being punched, kicked, shoved or spat at.

The research by the NASUWT teaching union found female staff were more likely to have faced physical attacks than males.

In the survey on behaviour in schools, 49 per cent of female teachers said they had suffered physical abuse or violence from pupils in the previous 12 months, compared to 36 per cent of men.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: ‘While no teacher should go to work and experience verbal or physical abuse from pupils, this data indicates that women teachers are at higher risk of facing violence.

‘Until such behaviour is treated with the seriousness it deserves and seen as part of the spectrum of abuse plaguing our schools, women working in schools will continue to have their safety put at risk.’

The survey of 476 teachers, including 326 women, found that 27 per cent of female teachers had been hit or punched in the previous 12 months, while 20 per cent had been kicked, 37 per cent had been shoved or barged, and 12 per cent had been spat at.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth signalled a tougher approach may finally be taken 

At the weekend, the Mail revealed the number of pupils who have been excluded for attacks on teachers has slumped since the SNP came to power.

Last week, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth signalled a tougher approach may finally be taken as she said she did not want to dissuade teachers from using exclusion, and that numbers may rise.

Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official in Scotland, said: ‘As well as taking action to ensure every school has behaviour management policies in place and enacted which place effective sanctions on pupils who abuse staff, local authorities and the Scottish Government need to make schools a central plank of strategies to eradicate gender-based violence.’

A whistleblowing teacher also told the Herald on Sunday that they face ‘violence on a daily basis’ in primary schools.

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesman Willie Rennie said: ‘Teachers deserve to know this government has their back.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable.’