Escalating acts of brutality towards educators prompt concern from school administrators
School principals in Offenbach, Germany, are expressing concerns over an increase in violence within their schools, particularly in comprehensive, secondary, and special schools. The rise in incidents is attributed to the complex challenges these school types face, such as diverse student populations and special needs requirements.
To combat this trend, school principals and educational stakeholders are advocating for concrete measures to improve school safety. These measures include:
- Increasing the presence of security personnel in schools.
- Implementing conflict resolution and violence prevention programs.
- Enhancing support services like counseling and social work for at-risk students.
- Promoting cooperation between schools, local authorities, and law enforcement to better manage and prevent violent incidents.
- Developing tailored interventions for comprehensive, secondary, and special school environments where challenges are more acute.
Gerhard Brand, federal chairman of the VBE, has expressed concern about the high level of violence against teachers. He stated that it is intolerable for teachers to continue to be victims of violence while performing their duties. Brand's statement underscores the need for action to address the high level of violence against teachers in schools.
The VBE is also urging municipalities to be held accountable for the safety of schools and advocating for stricter protection measures. They are seeking increased financial support to improve security measures in schools.
According to the VBE, 97% of physical incidents in schools were committed by students, while parents were responsible for 79% of cases of psychological violence. Uncooperative perpetrators, bureaucratic hurdles, or lack of support from school authorities often prevent school principals from supporting affected teachers effectively.
Only about half of the school principals reported being able to adequately support affected teachers, and only about half of the schools have a second alarm signal for emergencies, such as a school shooting.
Brand has called on politics to take the protection of teachers seriously and implement targeted measures to ensure school safety. He believes that it is time for politics to prioritize the safety of teachers in schools.
Recent reports have documented cases of violence by non-school adults against teachers, due to political decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time. This underscores the urgent need for action to protect teachers and create safer learning environments for all.
What measures are being proposed to improve school safety and combat violence against teachers in schools, according to school principals and educational stakeholders? These include increasing security personnel, implementing conflict resolution programs, enhancing support services, promoting cooperation with local authorities, developing tailored interventions for diverse school types, urging municipalities to improve safety, and seeking increased financial support. Gerhard Brand, federal chairman of the VBE, has called on politics to prioritize the safety of teachers, as cases of violence against teachers by students, parents, and non-school adults have risen recently.
