Swearing at teachers has become accepted in some schools, union warns

A fringe event at the Scottish Tory conference heard violent behaviour had worsened when pupils returned to class following Covid closures.

A teaching union leader has said violent behaviour by pupils in schools has worsened (PA) (PA Wire)

Widespread swearing at teachers is among the behavioural problems which have become accepted in some schools, a union leader has said.

Mike Corbett, national officer for Scotland at the NASUWT union, said many teachers reported that violent behaviour had worsened after pupils returned to classrooms during the pandemic.

Speaking at a fringe event at the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen, he said poor behaviour is increasingly a problem in all years of primary school.

There is currently a lack of research on the issue, he said.

Mr Corbett said: “Many of our members are telling us that since kids have come back, there’s more evidence of that quite serious and disruptive violent behaviour.”

You become quite sad about it because you know that child really needs some specialised help and support and it just doesn't seem to be available

Mike Corbett, NASUWT

Giving examples, he added: “There’s widespread swearing at teachers, in some schools we would say that has just become accepted.

“We would always say that’s completely unacceptable.”

Kicking and punching are also an issue, he said, as well as “a lot of biting, spitting from primary school pupils, aimed at often teachers, sometimes support staff or other pupils”.

Sometimes separate facilities are required for disruptive pupils but schools do not have the resources to accommodate this, he said.

Mr Corbett said: “You become quite sad about it because you know that child really needs some specialised help and support and it just doesn’t seem to be available.”

Scottish Conservative MSP Meghan Gallacher also spoke during the fringe event.

She said: “It is something that definitely needs to be addressed.

“But again, I’m just wondering how it can be addressed if councils’ budgets are being cut.”

In November, another teaching union raised concerns about the impact of coronavirus on pupils’ behaviour.

The EIS union said younger primary pupils were exhibiting more distressed behaviour, including violent incidents.

In one such incident, the union said, a teacher suffered a broken jaw after being kicked by an early primary pupil.