Attacks on teachers plummet after crackdown

Published on Tuesday 5 June 2007 12:01

VIOLENT attacks on teachers have fallen dramatically in the Capital following a crackdown on unruly pupils.

New figures show that incidents of youngsters assaulting staff in secondary schools dropped by two thirds in the last year.

A clampdown on indiscipline, better classroom management by teachers and incentive schemes for pupils have been credited with improving behaviour.

But teaching union leaders said they were "surprised" by the decrease as their members still complain about intimidation and harassment at work.

The figures, released to the Evening News under freedom of information laws, reveal that the number of attacks in 2006-7 fell to seven compared with 20 for the previous year.

Special schools recorded a 150 per cent drop in attacks after a high last year, with improved training for staff in restraining youngsters cited as an important factor behind the change.

City education leaders today said they were determined to "draw a line in the sand" with unruly and violent children.

Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, added: "I'm absolutely delighted as statistically there does appear to have been a fall.

"However, I don't think we should presume this is something that is going to continue. We must do everything we can to encourage that trend downwards.

"Violence towards teachers is an issue I take very seriously."

She added: "The children and families department and schools have put into place positive behaviour policies, which we did not have a few years ago.

"They work by recognising and rewarding positive behaviour. Learning support units and behavioural support units are also very important."

Cllr MacLaren also suggested changes to curriculums, with more vocational classes such as engineering and hairdressing, have helped some pupils develop a renewed interest in school.

"We also have greater flexibility in schools now," she said. "Youngsters who are not particularly academic get bored in class and when they are bored they get into mischief. If we make them feel school is more interesting they are less likely to take out their resentment on individual teachers."

In 2004-5, the number of pupils expelled from Edinburgh's secondary schools doubled in a single year to 90, as teachers adopted a get-tough attitude.

Councillor Andrew Burns, the city's Labour education spokesman, said: "I very much welcome this reduction in assaults on teachers, it's great to see the figures coming down.

"Exclusions of unruly pupils has partially helped. I think there will be a whole host of reasons, many of them to do with teachers managing situations better in the classrooms."

But Colin Mackay, Edinburgh secretary of the EIS, Scotland's largest teaching union, said he was taken aback by the decrease.

"This fall has not been reflected in the comments of teachers," he said.

"The perception remains that there is a level of violence in the classroom that continues to be there. It may be that, for whatever reason, we have not seen the same level of physical abuse this year, but anecdotally, the verbal abuse certainly seems to be ongoing.

"I am quite surprised but I certainly welcome this fall, if it is part of a trend."

Judith Gillespie, development manager at the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said: "Let's just celebrate the fact Edinburgh seems to be doing well here, and congratulate the teachers and schools. If schools are confident the policies they are adopting are working, then good for them."