Workplace Report November 2003

Features: Health & Safety News

Teachers ballot to stop violence

Teachers are taking a stand against pupil violence and refusing to allow dangerous students back into the classroom, a union survey has found. Research for teachers' union NASUWT has found that members in 25 schools have organised ballots to refuse to teach out-of-control pupils this year. The ballots have followed incidents where teachers have been punched, head-butted, bitten, shot with a ball-bearing gun and victimised by obscene phone calls. In other cases, the threat of holding a ballot has been enough for a violent pupil to be found a place at another school.

For copies of the survey tel: 020 7420 9670