Lib Dems abhor school violence
The Liberal Democrats have condemned official figures showing an increase in pupil violence against teachers.
Obtained in a parliamentary question, the statistics show the number of staff suffering a major injury at the hands of pupils in England doubled over 2003-4 from 27 to 55.
In London, this figure increased from one non-fatal major injury to seven over the year, while overall injury figures rose from 26 to 34 in London and 205 to 272 in England.
“It is utterly appalling and totally unacceptable that teachers face this level of serious violence in their schools,” said education spokesman Edward Davey.
“These figures suggest that too many schools will continue to be trapped in a vicious cycle of severe indiscipline and high staff turnover.
“We are only going to face greater problems recruiting qualified, enthusiastic teachers if the government does not deal with the problems of violence against teachers.”
