An average of 21 incidents of student-on-teacher violence occur every day in the Greater Victoria School District, says the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association.
The Greater Victoria teachers’ union is calling for “urgent action” from the school district and province to address what it calls an epidemic of student-on-student and student-on-staff violence.
An average of 21 incidents of student-on-staff violence occur every day in the Greater Victoria School District, the Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association said.
The association plans to release a report Wednesday that draws from more than 6,000 violent-incident reports obtained from the district through a freedom-of-information request, as well as a survey of district teachers, and a focus group of teachers from elementary, middle and secondary schools.
It said that 95 per cent of teachers who responded to the survey report having experienced violence in the classroom within the last year, while 88 per cent said violence significantly affects the learning environment and 87 per cent said violence has increased during their career.
“We knew there was a problem, but this provides stark evidence of how significant a problem violence in school is,” said association president Carolyn Howe. “If we truly want safe schools where all students are excited to spend the day, we cannot have this level of violence taking place every day.”
Howe said the violence teachers in the district are experiencing is not unique. “This is ubiquitous across the province and, in fact, across the country.”
Most incidents involve students in elementary and middle schools “who are experiencing intense frustration in the classroom setting, and don’t have the skills to deal with their frustration,” Howe said.
Howe said the incidents “don’t speak to a disciplinary response, they speak to additional supports being needed to help students.”
Violent incidents involve things like hitting, throwing, table flipping and the need to evacuate students, said one teacher, adding: “We’re not first responders.”
Another said they had been teaching for 30 years and the “constant vigilance is exhausting.”
The teachers’ association cited factors such as lack of programming and appropriate staffing ratios, and said teachers worry unaddressed violence could have “broader societal impacts.’
“The hallway should not be an acceptable accommodation for children who are a danger to themselves and their peers,” another surveyed teacher said.
The association represents about 2,000 members working with approximately 20,000 students in 46 schools in the district.
In a statement, the Ministry of Education and Child Care said that it is committed to strengthening inclusion in schools, “with the safety and well-being of students and staff in the education system being the highest priority.”
“We are always interested in hearing from students, staff and educators working directly in our schools and will review the report once received.”
The ministry said that all staff members have a right to a safe workplace. “If school staff experience violence at work, they are encouraged to report the incident to their employer immediately and WorkSafeBC, if needed.”
School boards are responsible for staffing decisions, so as the employer, they are responsible for staff safety, the ministry said.
“School districts have policies and procedures in place to promote safe and inclusive school environments, and schools maintain plans to support the safety of students and staff.”
The ministry said that employers and unions at the provincial level also have developed tools and resources to support prevention and workplace safety for staff — including every school district and independent school having a dedicated safe-school co-ordinator.
School board chair Nicole Duncan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The school district declined to comment on the report, saying it had not yet received it, but said in a statement that its top priority is the safety and well-being of all students and staff.
“The district continues to support staff with a long-standing and robust Violence Prevention Program to aid with reporting incidents and initiating resolution,” the statement said.
It said that safety-related training is offered to all staff.
“Beyond internal training, the district also works collaboratively with community supports and services to ensure our schools are equipped to support every student and family.”
The statement said that the district also offers mental health and wellness support to staff through the Homewood Health Employee and Family Assistance Program.
