‘Fed-up’ teachers to take industrial action over violent incidents

Teachers at a school in East Dunbartonshire are to take industrial action starting next Wednesday.

From 5 February, teachers at Kirkintilloch High School will work to rule because of what they say is a failure to address poor pupil behaviour and the abuse of teachers, but will stop short of a strike.

According to the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), neither the school nor the local authority has done anything to align with the key points of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour announced by the Cabinet Secretary last August.

Staff 'feel blamed' for poor behaviour

The Union says members are being made to feel blamed by management for the poor behaviour of pupils.

The frustration from the members has turned to action which will initially consist of refusing to cover classes for absent colleagues or host any out-of-hours activities such as clubs, trips or study classes.

The council is aware of the planned actions and has engaged with the staff taking part to support them.

Ann Davie, Chief Executive of East Dunbartonshire Council, said: “We have fully engaged with the school management regarding NASUWT staff concerns.

“We are currently in discussions with the union to try to resolve the issues brought forward.”

Teachers fed up of pupils not seeing consequences

Mike Corbett, a National Official at NASUWT, said: “They are fed up with reporting violent or abusive incidents from pupils and not seeing any serious consequences arise.

“If the culture in the school is one where violent incident seem to be accepted, why would our members put themselves in more harms way by taking a class of other pupils who they do not already have a relationship built with.”

Direct swearing towards teachers is said to be an “everyday occurrence” but physical violence also occurs.

He added: “We had one member who was deliberately targeted and hit by a door that was hit by a pupil.

“We are looking for concrete proposals to try and address the concerns that have been raised by our members."

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