LIAM Kerr MSP has urged the council and Scottish Government to do more to support the safety of school staff after new figures show physical assaults on teachers have risen by more than 230% over the last five years.
Figures released under Freedom of Information from Aberdeen City Council show 241 attacks were carried out by pupils against teachers in 2022/23 – an increase of 169 incidents from 2018/19.
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The figure also compares to 2021/22 when 104 assaults were recorded on teachers by pupils.
In addition to physical attacks, there have been 506 violent and aggressive incidents towards teachers in Aberdeen schools since 2018/19.
And almost 1,300 teachers took sick days between August 2022 and August this year.
The figures come after staff at Northfield Academy voted to strike at the school last year after the EIS union said there were serious safety concerns for teachers.
Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary and North East MSP Liam Kerr said: “These figures are shameful and emphasise the growing problem of violence in schools across Aberdeen.
“It’s clear that far too many teachers in the city are at risk of being physically abused as they do their job.
“This worrying trend is yet another issue facing Scotland which the SNP have failed to take proper action on to the detriment of our young people and school staff.
“Children deserve to learn in environments free from violence and disruption, and our teachers deserve to feel safe in their place of work which is why urgent steps must be taken to reverse this problem.
“Schools must be given the resources they need to ensure that there is always a zero-tolerance approach to violence in our classrooms.”
