Exclusive:Every classroom support worker in Edinburgh has been victim of violence or seen it, union warns

Every classroom support worker in Edinburgh has been victim of violence or seen it, a union has warned.

GMB Scotland said pupil support assistants are the most likely staff to suffer violence and abuse in Scotland’s classrooms.

It warned of an epidemic of assault and verbal abuse in schools, and is now calling for an “honest conversation” about the scale of the crisis.

It comes as a survey of classroom support staff in Edinburgh revealed every single person polled had either been the victim of violence, or witnessed it, with 89 per cent saying they no longer feel safe at work.

The findings prompted a furious backlash from opposition parties, with the Scottish Liberal Democrats accusing ministers of “failing” to give schools the resources to tackle violence.

Figures obtained by the union last year revealed almost 4000 incidents of violence, threats or verbal abuse in Edinburgh schools, an average of 20 incidents every day of the 190-day school year.

A snapshot poll of 30 classroom assistants in Edinburgh this month showed 100 per cent had been a victim of violence or witnessed it and 89 per cent said they do not feel safe at work.

Four out of five said incidents were taking place on a daily basis, with 92 per cent saying there are no consequences for pupils being violent towards classroom assistants.

Almost three out of four said they did not feel supported by management after suffering violence and said guidance and training was inadequate and confusing.

Just 15 per cent could explain the Scottish Government’s Hands Off policy with staff only allowed to touch a pupil if they are a danger to themselves or others.

Three out of four said they are not given enough background information about a child’s needs or potentially challenging behaviour before working with them.

Keir Greenaway, GMB’s Scotland’s senior organiser in public services, claimed the survey of classroom assistants in Edinburgh is only the latest to confirm the toll of violence in Scotland’s primaries.

He said: “The widespread idea that violence is largely inflicted by teenage boys on secondary teachers misrepresents the nature of this emergency.

“Of course, there are serious issues in later years but our members’ experience clearly suggests classroom support workers in the youngest primary classes are most at risk when children lash out.

“Figures collected by those councils properly collecting data confirm this but far too few are doing that.

“Until the true nature and extent of school violence is properly understood and acknowledged, it will never be properly addressed.

“We need an honest conversation about what is happening, where it is happening and how to address it.”

Opposition parties criticised Jenny Gilruth MSP, Minister for Education and Skills

The union said the policy of encouraging pupils with additional needs and potential behavioural issues to attend mainstream schools must be properly funded and underpinned with training and resources or it will fail all children and all staff.

Andrew Bell, GMB Scotland organiser in Edinburgh City Council said the results of the survey should raise a series of red flags for the local authority.

He said: “Our members have decades of experience in the city’s schools and if they are saying the violence and abuse is already a crisis and getting worse, managers should not only be listening but acting.

“Support staff need better support and training and the confidence to know that if incidents happen, they can be reported, investigated and acted on.

“Two out of three of our members say incidents are not recorded and when they are, nothing happens.

“If the authority does not know the scale of the problem, how can it be addressed? The relentless and continuing abuse of our members is no longer tenable.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said blame lay with the Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth.

He said: “The misogyny, abuse and violence that teachers are telling us about is shocking.

“Last summer, the Scottish Government published a new action plan. It aimed to make pupils and staff feel safe and supported.

“Pupils shouldn’t have to fear their classmates and teachers deserve to know this government has their back.

"The promised guidance on consequences is already late.

“The SNP Education Secretary has failed to give schools the necessary resources to respond effectively to school violence. It has left teachers and headteachers feeling abandoned.

“Liberal Democrats secured more funding for additional support needs in this year’s budget, but now it’s up to the government to come good on that commitment."

Scottish Labour MP Chris Murray told The Scotsman he heard of the challenges schools faced during every single visit to one.

The Edinburgh East and Musselburgh MP said: “Whenever I visit a school in my constituency, I hear about the challenges schools face from disruptive behaviour. The lack of provision for mental health is shocking and needs urgent attention.

“Added to that, the legacy of social isolation in the pandemic, and the challenges young people face in the age of smartphones, means the Scottish Government needs to grip this issue and support teachers, support workers and kids.”

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Miles Briggs said: “This survey outlines the chilling scale of the violence epidemic in Scotland’s schools under the SNP and debunks the myth that this is just a problem involving secondary teachers and pupils.

“The despair of the unions representing staff is palpable and understandable. While Jenny Gilruth wrings her hands and offers empty platitudes, this crisis is deepening.

“Staff, pupils and parents demand action from SNP ministers, not feeble policy directives that are barely understood. Councils need the resources to support their staff and a zero-tolerance directive from ministers towards soaring classroom violence.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable – it is important that schools are safe environments for teachers, wider staff and pupils alike.

“The Scottish Government is providing support and direction at a national level through our National Behaviour Action Plan. We have been working with a range of partners, including trade unions, on new guidance on responding to behaviour which we will publish before the end of the school term. Recognising the particular concerns for support staff, the Scottish Government has provided specific funding to enable enhanced support for pupil support staff.

“Local authorities are expected to consider how best to implement our national guidance to meet particular needs at a local level. They also have a statutory duty to identify and to review the support they provide for pupils with additional support needs.

“We are investing an additional £29 million this year to support the ASN workforce, in addition to record spend of over £1 billion by local authorities on ASN in 2023-24.”