Pupils of four scratch and bite in class

CLASSROOM behaviour has reached ‘extremely violent’ levels, with children as young as four biting, scratching and gouging the eyes of teachers, it was claimed yesterday.

Some primary school pupils are abusing staff up to ‘six or seven times a day’, with offences ranging from pulling hair to even attempting to strangle them.

Teachers at the NASUWT union’s conference in Birmingham condemned the ‘prevalent’ view that ‘being physically or verbally assaulted by pupils is all part of the job’.

Kelly Watkins, 38, a special educational needs co-ordinator working at a school in Shropshire, described being ‘spat at, bitten and pinched’ during her day-to-day work, and said a nine-year-old boy had tried to strangle her with a scarf.

Mrs Watkins said she was still being asked to go to classes where students could be violent despite being 18 weeks pregnant.

NASUWT executive member Russ Walters said teachers were ‘standing on the edge of a precipice’ in terms of pupil violence.

The union surveyed 4,080 members, with 52 per cent saying they had been verbally abused by a student in the last 12 months and 24 per cent experiencing similar harassment from a parent.

Chris Keates, NASUWT general secretary, said pupil behaviour was ‘one of the top concerns’ teachers raise about their jobs.