The teachers’ union has announced a ten-day awareness campaign on school violence, warning that the problem has intensified in recent years across public schools.
Under the slogan “Enough is enough. Zero tolerance for school violence and delinquency”, the organisation said the initiative aims to inform the public and press for meaningful state action to address the issue.
At a press conference, the union described the rise in violent and disruptive behaviour as one of the most serious challenges facing public education, affecting both pupils and teachers. Educators, it said, are increasingly required to manage complex situations without timely or adequate support.
The campaign will include in-school symbolic activities, information points in central urban locations, football matches carrying the message “Red card to school violence and delinquency”, and a public walk titled “We walk together: Violence off the path”.
Survey highlights safety concerns
The union also presented findings from a nationwide survey of 1,017 primary school teachers, which point to growing anxiety over the scale of the problem.
A total of 95 percent of respondents said incidents of violence and delinquency have increased. Meanwhile, 55 percent reported that they do not always feel safe at work, and 53 percent said schools are not consistently safe environments for pupils.
In terms of student behaviour, 63 percent reported frequent or very frequent verbal abuse, 59 percent physical violence, 31 percent vandalism and 13 percent cyberbullying.
Incidents involving teachers were also noted, with 29 percent reporting inappropriate behaviour directed at staff, 12 percent threats of physical violence and 9 percent actual physical assaults.
Impact on teaching and workload
The survey indicates a significant impact on classroom teaching. Around 65 percent of teachers said they have experienced behaviour that seriously disrupts lesson quality.
Time spent managing incidents is substantial, with 26 percent reporting they use between six and ten minutes of each 40-minute lesson for discipline, and 28 percent more than ten minutes. In addition, 26.6 percent said they spend nearly an entire period or more of their daily non-teaching time dealing exclusively with such issues.
Limited support from institutions
Teachers reported higher levels of satisfaction with support from school management at 62 percent and colleagues at 58 percent.
However, satisfaction drops sharply when it comes to external support, with just 17 percent expressing satisfaction with ministry services, 14 percent with parents and 8 percent with social welfare services.
Causes and burnout
According to respondents, the main factors contributing to school violence include lack of family support at 83 percent, excessive use of technology at home at 78 percent, inability to implement effective disciplinary measures at 76 percent, family and financial difficulties at 75 percent, erosion of respect for teachers at 73 percent, social media influence at 69 percent and shortage of specialised staff such as psychologists and social workers at 54 percent.
While 58 percent of teachers said they remain satisfied with their job and 64 percent believe they positively impact students’ lives, signs of burnout are significant. Around 65 percent said they feel exhausted, 60 percent doubt they can remain in the profession until retirement, and 28 percent are considering leaving due to the issue.
Call for comprehensive approach
The union stressed that school violence cannot be addressed through fragmented measures and called for a comprehensive strategy.
Proposals include upgrading the school environment, strengthening support structures, ensuring the presence of social workers in schools, providing training for parents and teachers, and modernising the legislative framework.
It added that it has already submitted a unified policy framework to the Ministry of Education aimed at preventing school violence and safeguarding the school community, with particular emphasis on early childhood education.