One teacher in five has been attacked by pupils at school

A FIFTH of teachers in England have been hit by a pupil this year as behaviour worsens postlockdown, according to a study.

The poll of 9,000 staff found the victims were targeted with violence recently, while 30 per cent said they had witnessed pupils fighting that week.

In addition, one in seven of those working in secondary schools have experienced sexual harassment from a pupil.

Behaviour has worsened since the lockdowns, as pupils got out of the habit of good classroom conduct, teachers reported.

The research by BBC News and the Teacher Tapp survey app also found staff being abused by pupils’ families.

Of the respondents, 20 per cent said they had experienced online abuse from a parent since September, and the same level had been verbally abused.

Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT union, said violence and abuse in schools ‘ have risen notably’ since the pandemic.

He added: ‘The education system is failing in its duty of care to the profession.

‘Teachers have a right to be treated with dignity and to be safe when they go to work.’

It comes after the union said a teacher in Wales was awarded £150,000 in compensation after a pupil punched and headbutted him, causing head injuries.

In October, Amanda Spielman, then head of Ofsted, revealed behaviour across the country had worsened as a result of Covid-19.

The Department for Education said ‘decisive action’ was being taken to improve pupil behaviour. A spokesman added it had allocated £1.1million to its mental health and wellbeing scheme for head teachers this year.