Addressing violence in the classroom: Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation calls for more support

Teachers in Saskatchewan have come forward sharing their experiences of violence in the classroom they say stem from a lack of supports.

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation brought forward four stories from teachers, giving them each pseudonyms to protect the privacy and identity of the people involved.

“In March 2023 I was working as a Grade 3/4 teacher in a Saskatchewan school and this was my very first year as an elementary school teacher. I was going outside for recess supervision when I heard a situation out in the hallway. I walked into the hallway and I was attacked by a Grade 7 student who was in an escalated state,” Shelby said.

She said she wasn’t the only staff member involved in the situation.

“I was repeatedly hit and kicked in the upper body and head by the student and I was told it took several staff members to get the student off of me and be able to restrain them.”

Police and emergency services attended the school and Shelby was taken to the hospital, where she was treated for a severe concussion and a broken nose.

Shelby said it took a lot of time to become comfortable teaching in a classroom by herself again, noting she still works with a therapist to navigate those anxieties.

“I do not blame the student for what happened,” Shelby said.

“I blame the system and the lack of government support that continues to let students fall through the cracks in the Saskatchewan education system. Violence in schools is an increasing issue and compromises the safety of all staff and students in the building.”

She has since moved away from Saskatchewan and said her new school instantly made her aware of the school’s incident reporting system.

“As of right now in Saskatchewan there is not a system in place for teachers to even report when they’re involved in a violent incident within a school.”

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation (STF) president Samantha Becotte said this was not an isolated incident, saying more teachers are experiencing violence across the province.

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“An STF survey of Saskatchewan teachers around classroom violence found that 35.4 per cent of respondents experienced violence in their working environment in the last five years,” Becotte said.

She said this number has increased from 29 per cent in 2021.

Becotte noted that the Saskatchewan School Boards Association proposed to create a committee outside of the bargaining process, but Becotte said the STF believes that this belongs at the bargaining table.

“The STF’s position is that another committee without any accountability is not the solution. Teachers have seen ineffective committees to address classroom size and complexity and are looking for more concrete solutions to these critical problems.”

Violence in classrooms was described by Becotte as more than just physical, as teachers are facing threats, aggression and verbal abuse.

“When any of these incidents happen, all students are impacted. They witness the incidents, must clear the room and often see the aftermath,” Becotte said.

Becotte said occupational health and safety reporting and school division policies around violence are not working and the number of teachers not reporting violence is increasing.

“Many teachers have reported that there is limited or no response when they report incidents of violence.”

Another teacher who came forward with their experience of violence was Roman, a recently retired teacher who returned as a substitute.

Roman said he was walking to class and stopped a student who was running down the hallway.

Another student interjected and was confrontational with Roman, which eventually led to that student attacking him.

“He began pummelling me, striking me in the head and jaw several times. My glasses went flying on the floor, along with my left hearing aid,” Roman said.

Roman was taken to the local emergency room and was treated for multiple breaks in his jaw as well as a compound fracture.

He required facial surgery and had his jaw wired shut for a month.

“I don’t know how the needs of these struggling students can be met by classroom teachers. Additional funding is needed to provide professional assistance for these students trying to keep their ‘heads above water.’”

Mary, another teacher who has worked 17 years in the field, said students are running into situations because they are unable to regulate, saying in some cases teachers have no other choice but to restrain students who are no longer safe around other students and staff.

She said this was always a last resort, and gave examples of situations where she was struck by chairs, punched by students and even had some students try to jab her with pencils.

“This behaviour isn’t their fault. These students’ needs aren’t being met. They require and deserve more support than teachers alone can provide,” Mary said.

“These things happen every day in our schools. It is traumatic and unacceptable for everyone: the students who are so dysregulated because they aren’t being given the supports they desperately need; the classmates who have to witness the event, evacuate the room and have their ‘safe space’ destroyed; and the teachers and other staff who are injured and put themselves in harm’s way to keep everyone safe and to try to help these students.”

Lastly, Carla, another teacher in Saskatchewan, shared a story where a student was taken to a sensory room to try and settle them, but the student removed their clothing, urinated and defecated and began throwing and smearing fecal material.

Global News has reached out to the Ministry of Education and received a statement.

The province said that the Government Trustee Bargaining Committee (GTBC) is waiting at the bargaining table ready to discuss workplace safety.

“The government has moved on a number of items the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation asked for, including workplace safety which is one of many areas the GTBC is prepared to discuss at the table as part of its renewed mandate,” the ministry said.

“Outside of bargaining, the government has proposed an agreement with the STF to annualize the $53.1 million in additional funding for class size and complexity.”

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