A recent survey by primary school teachers’ union Poed, published on Thursday, found that 95 per cent of the 1,017 teachers who participated reported an increase in incidents of school violence and delinquency.
“The findings unfortunately confirm the particularly worrying scale that school violence and delinquency have reached,” Poed said.
In a statement, the union described the rise in violent and delinquent behaviour in recent years as “one of the most serious challenges that public schools are called upon to manage”.
According to the survey, 55 per cent of teachers do not always feel safe at work, while 53 per cent believe that school is not always a safe environment for children.
While Poed acknowledged that some preventive measures and management tools have been introduced, it stressed that these are insufficient.
“Children remain without support for long periods, the quality of education is undermined, and teachers are called upon daily to manage such incidents without substantial or timely support, leading to burnout,” the union said.
The survey found that verbal violence is the most common form of student behaviour, reported by 63 per cent of teachers, followed by physical violence (59 per cent), vandalism (31 per cent), and online violence (13 per cent).
It also highlighted concerning levels of violence directed at teachers. Around 29 per cent reported inappropriate behaviour by students, 12 per cent reported threats of physical violence, and 9 per cent reported actual physical violence against teachers.
Poed called on the government to take responsibility and invest in “targeted policies and substantive measures” to support public schools, stressing that the issue “cannot be addressed through piecemeal interventions”.
“The effective prevention and management of this phenomenon requires a holistic and systematic approach, with timely and substantial intervention by all relevant services,” it said.
The union presented an eight-pillar proposal, including upgrading school environments and operations, promoting social and emotional skills, providing targeted support for vulnerable students, modernising legislation, strengthening support structures, enhancing cooperation mechanisms, and investing in teacher training and professional development.
It also called for measures to reinforce the status of teachers.
“Every child has the right to quality education in a safe environment that respects their needs and particularities. Every teacher has the right to work in conditions that allow them to teach and inspire,” Poed concluded.
Click here to change your cookie preferences