VICTORIA B.C.: Twenty-one violent incidents a day. Ninety-five per cent of teachers reporting violence. This is what the NDP’s failure to deal with violence in schools looks like.
The Greater Victoria School District is seeing an average of 21 violent incidents per day directed at teachers by students. 95% of Greater Victoria teachers say they have experienced violence in the past year.
“These statistics are disturbing, but they do not come as a surprise,” said Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. “The NDP has spent years ignoring teachers who have been telling them their workplaces are becoming less safe. Teachers shouldn’t have to worry about being assaulted when they walk into a classroom. The government needs to stop making excuses and start making schools safe.”
“Two years ago, the then presidents of the B.C. Teachers’ Federation and CUPE emphasized that the greatest challenge facing educators was not compensation, but unacceptable working conditions,” said Lynne Block, Shadow Minister for Education. “Two years later, those challenges have only intensified. Teachers and educational staff continue to face high stress, excessive workloads, and increasing classroom violence. B.C. must invest in more teachers and educational assistants, while providing the training and resources needed to support increasingly complex classroom environments and ensure safe, supportive learning conditions for both students and staff.”
“Teachers are showing up every day to do one of the most important jobs in our province, and the NDP is leaving them to deal with violence on their own,” said Linda Hepner, Shadow Minister for Labour. “The NDP government must give schools the resources they need to protect teachers and keep schools safe. The Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association has already put forward practical recommendations: set measurable violence-reduction targets, improve student-educator ratios, provide alternative spaces for students who can’t remain in regular classrooms, and support staff after violent incidents. The government needs to listen.”
– 30 –