NLTA says violence in classrooms is getting worse, not better

Blurred teacher teaching a lesson in classroom at primary school. The students have their hands up while you look at the back of their heads. — According to the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association, more than 4,000 violent or aggressive incidents were reported during the 2023-2024 school year, according to an access to information request. (Shutterstock)

The head of the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association is once again sounding the alarm about violence in the province’s classrooms, saying the government must do more to find solutions and tackle the problem.

“The most recent report for the full school year last year was approximately 22 incidents per day in our schools,” Trent Langdon told CBC News on Tuesday.

“There was a 29 percent increase in physical, violent attacks from the previous year. So that’s where we are now, and it’s time for this province to fully realize where we are and address it .”

An NLTA news release Tuesday said statistics from an access to information request show 4,052 violent or aggressive incidents were reported during the 2023-2024 school year — up from 3,659 during the 2018-2019 school year.

Last year there were a total of 178 incidents where police had to be called, compared to 111 the year before.

The association has been concerned about violence in the school system for months. The problem has been highlighted in recent headlines, including a brutal attack on a student at Prince of Wales Collegiate and police being called to Waterford Valley High School when weapons were found on the premises.

The NLTA first launched a campaign to highlight violence in schools in March, and relaunched the campaign on Tuesday with comments from parents.

“My child comes home with bruises, they come home with injuries,” Langdon said, referring to some comments the NLTA has received. “When a violent incident occurs, the entire school often suffers.”

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The number of incidents involving physical violence or sexual assault topped 3,500 in schools in Newfoundland and Labrador last year – almost 30 per cent more than in 2022. Trent Langdon, the president of the NLTA, says it’s a huge problem and asks wonders where the provincial government stands when it comes to the point.

Jerry Earle, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE), which represents more than 1,000 student assistants, said this group is also seeing violence in the classroom.

“We’ve had student assistants who have been physically abused, who have lost time at work because of injuries they’ve sustained. There’s a lot more aggression on display,” he said. “(It’s) quite worrying because the children coming into our schools have very complex needs, and often the necessary support is lacking. And it’s having a negative impact.”

Both Langdon and Earle say teachers and student assistants need more support in the classroom – which should come from the provincial government.

However, Langdon said he believes the province is not committed as part of the school safety coalition organized by the NLTA.

‘Our current minister is absent. But we have John Haggie, who has been in this role for several months and who has not contacted us yet,” Langdon said.

“It was government participation. It’s not leadership, and that’s where we are now.”

NL Schools issued a memo on Tuesday stating that students, staff and parents can all play a role in tackling violence in schools.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, Ministry of Education spokesperson Lynn Robinson wrote that violence against students and school staff is unacceptable and the ministry is focused on supporting their well-being.

The statement also said that experiences in schools can reflect social issues and that collaboration is critical in tackling violence in schools.

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