Media Release Saturday July 28 2007
From NZEI Te Riu Roa For Immediate Use

Student assaults on teachers and school support staff at nearly one in three primary schools, NZEI survey finds

One in seven teachers and a similar proportion of school support staff in primary schools reported being physically assaulted by students last year, a survey commissioned by the education union NZEI Te Riu Roa has found.

Assaults were reported in nearly one-third of the random sample of primary schools questioned, the survey of principals, teachers and school support staff found.

The survey Physical and Verbal Aggression Towards Primary and Intermediate Staff: Report of National Survey of NZEI Members also found that more than 50 percent of teachers and more than a quarter of school support staff also reported aggressive verbal confrontations with children during that time.

The survey forms the basis of a report, Disruptive Student Behaviour - A Primary School Perspective, that is being circulated to NZEI members this week in the run up to NZEI's Annual Meeting in September.

NZEI Acting National Secretary Peter Monteith says: "It appears to us that violence generally is on the rise within society. However, the student behaviour revealed by the survey is unacceptable and unsafe for both teachers and other students. It seriously undermines the teaching and learning process. Both physical and verbal assault cause stress for children and the adults who work with them and this is disruptive to their learning."

"The survey is a "wake up call" for everyone involved in education either directly or indirectly to ensure that our schools remain safe and effective in terms of teaching and learning.

The survey paints a disturbing of an increasing number of incidents that are interfering with learning in our school and putting school staff at risk. Common forms of assault included pushing, shoving, shouldering, punching, striking with open hand, kicking and stomping. Boys were responsible for nine out of every 10 physical assaults.

However verbal assaults were far more frequent. Nearly sixty percent of teachers and 27% of support staff surveyed reported aggressive verbal confrontation with children during 2006.

1/2 pages...
2/2 pages

It's not just students who are aggressive towards school staff. In the survey one in five teachers and support staff reported verbal aggression from parents and caregivers. One principal commented, "Parents are becoming an increasing problem, very verbal over very minor problems. [They show] very poor role modelling for children…Verbal abuse occurs in front of children." Another principal observed, "Parental support for the school and staff is much reduced. They (parents) challenge the school's discipline and they support the child. Threats of legal action frighten staff from disciplining children as they should."

Some staff found being shouted at or sworn at deeply affecting. One teacher reported in the survey: "When confronted verbally in an aggressive manner, I was deeply traumatised. I was working with agencies to support the mother, the child in the class and other family members. The verbal assault came without warning. The child was moved to another class after the incident. The whole incident affected me for many weeks."

The survey also showed that less than one fifth of students were stood down following an assault on a teacher while approximately one third of students were stood down following an assault on support staff. Survey respondents said the support provided by the Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour service was the most prompt and effective of all agency support.

In Disruptive Student Behaviour - A Primary School Perspective, NZEI argues that teachers, principals and support staff have the right under the Health and Safety in Employment Act to work in a healthy and safe environment without fear of physical or assault. The report suggests more professional development be provided to staff to help manage situations that may result in physical or verbal assault. It identifies successful behavioural response programmes being used in New Zealand, and recommends that NZEI develop further responses on the issue.

Peter Monteith says NZEI members are not seeking to absolve themselves from their share of the responsibility in solving the issues around disruptive students, but want acknowledgement of and support in addressing the problem.

"We need to work together with both the community and the appropriate agencies to solve it. It is not just a school problem, it is one we all have to "own" and work together to solve."

The Survey and report Disruptive Student Behaviour - A Primary Perspective can be downloaded from www.nzei.org.nz

ends

© Scoop Media