More than half of primary school teachers do not always feel safe in their workplace, while a similar proportion believe that students themselves are not consistently in a secure school environment. The findings, based on a nationwide survey by the Cyprus Primary Teachers’ Organisation (POED) involving 1,017 educators, paint a troubling picture of daily life in public schools.
According to the survey, 95% of teachers say incidents of school violence and delinquency have increased in recent years, suggesting the issue is no longer isolated but a steadily worsening reality affecting school operations.
Classroom disruption
Beyond the headline figures, the survey highlights the impact on teaching itself. Teachers report spending significant time managing disruptive behaviour during lessons, reducing effective teaching time.
Some 26% say they spend between six and ten minutes of a 40-minute lesson dealing with such incidents, while 28% report spending more than ten minutes. Meanwhile, more than one in four teachers say they dedicate nearly an entire non-teaching period each day to handling cases of violence and misconduct.
This translates into a substantial loss of instructional time and undermines the quality of education, with lessons frequently interrupted or diverted into crisis management.
Violence against teachers
The findings also reveal direct incidents of aggression towards teachers. Around 29% report experiencing inappropriate behaviour from students, 12% say they have faced threats of physical violence, and 9% report actual physical assaults.
These figures point to a shift beyond student-to-student conflict, highlighting a breakdown in trust and respect within the classroom.
Limited support
Teachers also report feeling inadequately supported by relevant authorities. Only 17% say they are satisfied with the support provided by Ministry of Education services, while satisfaction levels are even lower for other stakeholders.
Just 14% express satisfaction with parental support, and only 8% with social welfare services.
Drivers of the problem
The survey identifies several key factors contributing to the rise in school violence. The most significant, cited by 83% of respondents, is insufficient support from families. This is followed by excessive use of technology at home (78%), the lack of effective disciplinary measures (76%), and family or financial difficulties (75%).
Teachers also point to the influence of social media and the internet (69%), as well as a shortage of specialised staff such as psychologists and social workers (54%).
Call for action
The findings were presented by POED during a press briefing as part of a ten-day awareness campaign under the slogan “Enough is enough. Zero tolerance for school violence and delinquency.”
The organisation is calling for targeted and comprehensive policies to address the issue, warning that piecemeal actions will not be sufficient. “Addressing school violence cannot rely on fragmented measures but requires a holistic and systematic approach, with coordinated action by all stakeholders,” it said.