NASUWT Calls for National Framework to Record School Violence in Wales

Nearly 75% of Welsh teachers surveyed consider changing jobs amid rising school violence. NASUWT urges a national framework to record and address incidents consistently.

Teacher Survey Reveals High Consideration of Job Change in Wales

In a survey of 10,000 teachers, nearly three-quarters of teachers in Wales reported considering changing jobs.

A teachers' union is calling for a national framework to record incidents of violence in Welsh schools.

Over the past year, more teachers in Wales have considered leaving their posts than anywhere else in the UK, according to NASUWT figures.

In the survey, nearly 75% of Welsh teachers said they were thinking about changing jobs, compared to 68.3% in England.

One current issue is that each local authority in Wales records and responds to incidents of violence in schools differently, the union said.

Teachers Feel Physically and Mentally at Risk

Matt Wrack, General Secretary of NASUWT, stated that teachers in Wales feel they are "endangering their physical and mental wellbeing by walking into school every morning" and feel "powerless to deal with dangerous pupil behaviour."

The Welsh Government said that "any form of violence or abuse in our schools is completely unacceptable" and that they aim to develop a framework that "includes ensuring incidents are handled, recorded, and reported consistently."

Current System Creates Unnecessary Risks

The union argues the current system creates unnecessary risks to staff and pupils, and that a lack of consistent and accurate data collection obscures the scale and impact of pupil behaviour problems on teachers and other pupils.

One teacher said they felt "nervous to leave the classroom" because pupils shouted at them and made comments about their appearance.

Another reported being "pushed twice within 10 minutes" by a pupil while 38 weeks pregnant.

Several other teachers added that they experience physical and verbal abuse daily.

Matt Wrack, NASUWT General Secretary, said: "The stress, anxiety and sometimes physical injury teachers suffer due to abuse from pupils forces them to consider leaving the profession.

"Any national strategy must address violence in schools and tackle the root causes of pupil behaviour problems: poverty, inequality, severe lack of mental health services and support for young people, and the rampant spread of misinformation across social media and online platforms."

Need for a National-Level Framework

Neil Butler, NASUWT National Officer for Wales, said the union was "shocked to discover that not every [local authority] consistently records information about the types of abuse teachers suffer or the number of incidents occurring in schools."

"Since pupils can move across counties, it is essential that any new framework operates at a national level to ensure schools can access pupil data as soon as necessary."

He added that the government "must act now in response to what we consider a public health and safety crisis."

The Welsh Government stated they want to "work with schools, local authorities and health and social care services to develop a framework linking behaviour, attendance and wellbeing that will include ensuring incidents are handled, recorded and reported consistently."