Teachers declare pupil behaviour emergency

81% of teachers say pupil behaviour has become worse in the last year, according to new data collected by NASUWT - The Teachers' Union.

The leading motion for NASUWT's Annual Conference, which opens today (Friday), calls for measures to equip teachers for a dangerous school landscape where pupil violence and aggression is commonplace and teachers and other pupils bear the brunt of worrying behaviour trends.

More than 5,800 teachers responded to NASUWT's latest UK-wide Behaviour in Schools survey, which found that in the last year:

• 20% of teachers surveyed have been hit or punched by pupils and 38% had been shoved or barged, with 25% of teachers experiencing pupil violence at least once a term.
• More than 60% of threats of assault with a weapon come from pupils of primary school age.
• 95% of teachers experienced rudeness from pupils, with more than 25% suffering verbal abuse at least several times a week.
• 62% of teachers experienced stress as a result of pupil aggression, and 52% subsequently considered leaving the teaching profession altogether.
• 70% of teachers do not believe they have the resources, support and knowledge to meet the behaviour needs of all their pupils, and 78.8% say the number of pupils who do not receive adequate support has increased.
• 76% of teachers say that pupil behaviour issues could be alleviated if affected pupils were moved to specialist facilities, but places are often scarce.

Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary
, said:

"Pupil behaviour has long been an issue for teachers, but recent years have seen an unprecedented surge in levels of violence and abuse in the classroom.

"Based on our latest data, we estimate as many as 30,000 violent incidents against teachers involving pupils with a weapon in the last 12 months. Many teachers are having to think about how they can survive in the classroom before they can begin to focus on their teaching and pupils' learning.

"We are calling for the establishment of a national inter-agency forum on School Safety and Security that is led and chaired by ministers. We are also calling on the Government to invest in properly funded services to identify and tackle the root causes of pupil violence and aggression."