European Trade Union Committee for Education

ETUCE member organisation CSI-CSIF publishes a study on school violence, teachers’ authority and students-teachers relations.

According to this study:

- 90%of teachers in Spain experience situations of violence and fear in their schools;

- Physical aggressions,  insults, bullying, and harassment and threats to teachers by students and families, including through social networks, emails and Whatsapp, are the most problematic challenges;

- The teachers interviewed mention also the lack of respect and recognition of the teaching authority, psychological violence and situations of helplessness;

- 75% of teachers interviewed consider that teachers have very little or no authority.

With the presentation of this report, CSI- CSIF intends to raise awareness about the climate of tension in the classrooms and the need to reach a social pact, in which all the stakeholders of the educational community, media, politicians, civil society and partners are involved to turn education institutions into spaces of 'zero tolerance' towards any manifestation of violence.

In addition, cuts in personnel, the increase in the ratio of students per class and school hours, as well as the shortfall in support personnel, makes it difficult to prevent these types of situations. Likewise, CSI-CSIF considers it necessary to increase teacher training and adopt specific measures in the face of new forms of complex and challenging harassment-related situations through ICT and social media networks.

One of the main demands of CSI-CSIF is that teachers throughout Spain can work in an environment conducive to educational work.

To tackle the above challenges, CSI-CSIF is launching a specific instrument 'CSIF Ayuda Profes'- a specialised psychological office to advise, prevent and treat situations of violence with the aim of informing, advising and supporting teachers and thus improve “convivencia” that is, the living together in school. In addition, CSI-CSIF assists its affiliates in tailored preventive, proactive and informative actions to avoid future cases of psychosocial risks and school-related conflicts.

CSI-CSIF’s demands link to ETUCE’s commitment to promote decent and healthy school environments and to prevent psychosocial risks and harassment for all teachers and other education employees.

For detailed information about the study, please, click here.