An alarming increase in assaults and physical aggression in primary and special schools is pushing many teachers to “breaking point”, according to the country’s largest teachers’ union.
At the opening day of the annual congress of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), delegates heard of a sharp rise in assaults and an “unacceptable reality” where many teachers are exhausting their sick leave following incidents.
Áine McGinley, a Donegal teacher, said the experience of being assaulted was “emotionally devastating” as well as physically painful.
“No two people respond to trauma the same way and trauma does not follow a timetable. Some individuals may need time immediately, while others may need leave weeks or months later as psychological impact sets in,” she said.
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Ms McGinley said teachers who are subject to assaults “should never be out of pocket” for something that was not their fault.
The INTO is seeking an extension to the duration of assault leave, financial supports to cover medical bills, and provision for an early retirement scheme for teachers who are no longer able to work due to a workplace assault.
A survey by the union last year found that almost 60 per cent of teachers reported experiencing physical aggression in schools, with rates highest in special schools.
Incidents commonly included scratching, punching, biting, and the throwing of objects.
INTO general secretary John Boyle described the findings as “deeply alarming” and warned the profession was approaching a breaking point.
The congress also heard schools are being “hung out to dry” by education authorities who are left unable to access essential supports for students with special needs.
INTO president Carmel Brown said every child should have the opportunity to learn in a safe, well-resourced environment where their individual needs can be met.
Instead, she said, schools were “hindered at every turn” due to insufficient psychologists, counsellors, therapists, therapeutic supports and resources.
The union says funding should be made available for the establishment of special classrooms, sensory spaces, play areas and appropriate furniture and equipment once a special class opens.
Minister for Education Helen McEntee recently announced provision of in-school therapies will be expanded from the start of the next academic year, starting with special schools.
Mr Boyle said that while the move represents a “starting point”, therapies must be made available to all primary and special schools.
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The congress also heard that “chronic underfunding” is threatening the solvency of primary schools. Many schools are relying on cake sales and donations to pay basic heating and lighting bills.
Gareth Heagney, an Ennis-based teacher, said: “Schools which were never in the red before are now in ever-growing deficits ... Running schools is becoming increasingly complex. There is an increasing need to engage specialist services – financial, health and safety, legal etc. But the money isn’t there.”
Delegates backed calls for primary school capitation rates to be increased to the same level as second-level schools.
Separately, a poll has found that the teaching profession is becoming too costly for many, with one in three newly qualified teachers considering leaving Ireland due to rising accommodation costs and low-hours contracts.
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The Teachers’ Union of Ireland poll, released in advance of its annual conference in Wexford, was carried out among more than 1,000 second-level and further education members over recent weeks.
The results show that of those employed since 2015, only 26 per cent of respondents received a contract of full hours upon initial appointment.
In addition, a large majority of longer-serving teachers said they could not afford to become teachers today due to barriers such as the housing crisis and the cost of teaching qualifications.
