Violence Against Teachers Persists in Aberdeen Schools
Violence against teachers in Aberdeen's schools continues to be "widespread, frequent and harmful," according to Scotland's largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS).
The EIS reported that more than a quarter of its members in Aberdeen experienced physical assault in the past year, with over a third witnessing violent incidents on a daily basis.
One teacher shared with BBC Scotland News that she was fearful of returning to work after enduring racial abuse from pupils "every other day," alongside physical attacks.
Aberdeen City Council acknowledged improvements had been made but stated that further efforts were necessary despite launching an action plan two years ago aimed at reducing classroom violence.
Survey Findings Highlight Serious Concerns
The EIS conducted a survey involving approximately 800 members in Aberdeen, revealing that the frequency of violent incidents remains a significant concern.
The union noted that incidents continue to be "overtly physical in nature," with teachers reporting experiences including pushing, shoving, being struck by objects, kicking, biting, and spitting.
Some of these incidents resulted in injuries requiring medical treatment and time off work.
Two teachers agreed to discuss their experiences with BBC Scotland News on the condition of anonymity.
Teachers Share Personal Experiences
One secondary school teacher described being racially abused "too many times to be able to say."
"Sometimes I have to ignore it, because how many times am I going to report racial abuse?" she said. "So if somebody says something, I can pretend I didn't hear it."
She explained that she often tries to ignore the abuse because "maybe in the class, 95% [of pupils] are good," but acknowledged the impact it has on her personal life when she returns home at night.
Currently signed off work, she expressed apprehension about returning to the classroom.
"I am really struggling with it now because I have done it for too many years," she said. "Having to go through that abuse and then come back the next day and people feeling that it's ok...just get on with your work. Because nothing is being done."
A primary school teacher recounted being bitten, kicked, punched, and spat at.
"Some schools have phone, radios - some you just open the door and shout out into the corridor and nobody comes," she said. "That's quite a scary situation to be in if you have a full class of small children and there's furniture being thrown."
"I remember trying four different ways to get help. Four different members of staff that I knew should be available. But nobody came and nobody answered."
Council Actions and Challenges
Two years ago, Aberdeen City Council committed to taking action after teachers raised serious concerns with BBC Scotland News.
In March 2024, the local authority drafted an action plan designed to tackle the issue of classroom violence.
A whistleblowing form for staff was introduced but later withdrawn after it was used only once.
Union Response and Ongoing Issues
EIS branch secretary Ron Constable emphasized that the survey demonstrated violent behaviour in Aberdeen's schools remains a persistent problem.
"We still have teachers experiencing on a daily basis, objects being thrown at them and being pushed, punched, slapped, kicked and bitten," he said.
He added that although the number of reported incidents had decreased slightly, he believed "the violence is probably deflected, rather than going down, because lots of teachers are developing strategies to get themselves out of difficult situations."
Council Perspective on Improvements
Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council's education and children's services convener, acknowledged that schools face "a problem" with "violence, aggressive behaviour and misbehaviour."
He stated that systems for managing such incidents are "improving" and described the reporting processes as "robust."
"We can't be complacent," he said. "We have always got to be doing what we can to improve the existing processes. Teachers need to have confidence that we have their back."
An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson commented:
"We welcome the survey and can clearly see the impact of our shared work over the last two years. We look forward to meeting with EIS colleagues and other trade unions to consider how best to respond to the survey findings."
