A UNION has expressed concern over the level of violence experienced by school staff after the Reporter revealed teachers have been assaulted in almost 50 recorded incidents in West Dunbartonshire schools in the last six years.

In a first step to combat violence, Jim Halfpenny, West Dunbartonshire EIS secretary, called for the council to protect children’s education by declaring a “no cuts” budget.

In Dumbarton and the Vale alone, teachers have been subjected to 20 incidents of verbal and physical abuse between 2012/13 and 2017/18.

In 2012/13, there were five incidents of teachers being verbally abused, and two incidents of educators being subjected to both verbal and physical assaults – one with an “improvised object” and without.

The following year, the council recorded the most attacks against teachers, with five recorded incidents of staff being verbally abused; one incident of a teacher being both verbally and physically abused, including a further incident with an improvised object; and two incidents of teachers being physically assaulted, including one with an improvised object.

Again in 2015/16 a teacher was physically assaulted with an improvised object.

Last year, there were six incidents of verbal abuse and one physical assault.

Of the incidents recorded, two were reported to police in 2013/14, one was reported in 2015/16 and one in 2016/2017.

Mr Halfpenny added: “The figures disguise the hard work being carried out in schools by staff to diffuse any potential areas of conflict.

“A small number [of pupils] can often find school organisation challenging and this, at times, can lead to conflict.”

Mr Halfpenny added: “In particular, the figures vastly underestimate the level of verbal abuse towards staff which, regrettably, has become a common occurrence seldom reported as schools absorb and dissipate this day to day reality.”

He said small units containing the most difficult pupils are often established to help them concentrate and minimise disruption to the class, but as councils attempt to save money, class sizes increase with “the potential for greater disruption and abuse to both staff and pupils”.

Mr Halfpenny said: “The austerity agenda of successive national governments has impoverished more and more children in West Dunbartonshire and done little to help them establish a secure educational foundation.

“As a first step in the struggle against verbal and physical violence towards school staff, it is essential that West Dunbartonshire Council protect our children’s education by declaring a ‘no cuts’ budget.”

Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie noted the numbers had remained consistent over the six-year period and said “one assault on a teacher is one too many”.

She added: “Our teachers work very hard. They deserve our respect and support.”

A spokeswoman for West Dunbartonshire Council said they do not tolerate aggression against staff.

She added: “We have invested in strategies which improve the health and wellbeing of our pupils with a focus on developing resilience and self-awareness and promoting alternative thinking skills.

“In addition, we deliver specific training to enable school staff to assist distressed children and young people while ensuring their safety and that of everyone around them.”