A new study suggests that violence against teachers in Manitoba schools is on the rise, with more than half of teachers surveyed reporting they were threatened or injured during the last school year.
The survey, conducted in the spring by Manitoba teacher and researcher Julie Braaksma, found 54 per cent of respondents experienced threats or physical force during the 2023–24 school year.
Fifteen per cent said they were subjected to more than 20 violent incidents, while a third took time off work to recover.
“Members have begun equipping themselves with protective (Kevlar) arm guards on a daily basis,” said Manitoba Teachers’ Society president Lillian Klausen.
As reported in the Winnipeg Free Press, the survey of 191 teachers found students were the most common source of physical violence, while parents were most often responsible for harassment, including verbal abuse and intimidating emails.
More than half of respondents reported medium to high levels of burnout, according to the study.
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Nearly 60 per cent of teachers surveyed said an increased number of high-needs students in mainstream classrooms is the primary reason violence is rising.
The Manitoba Teachers’ Society says the study’s findings reflect what it has been hearing from members across the province.
In a statement to Global News, Klausen said “the violence we are seeing in schools is not random. It is the result of chronic underfunding, unmet student needs, and classrooms stretched beyond capacity.”
Klausen said classroom pressures have increased significantly in recent years.
“The number of teachers with more than six students with additional needs has nearly tripled since 2017 — from 8.1 per cent to 23 per cent,” she said. “Sixty per cent of teachers teach at least one class with over 25 students.”
She added that emergency responses to student behaviours are becoming more common.
“Evacuations in response to student outbursts are not uncommon,” Klausen said.
Shauna René, a former teacher in Winnipeg, told Global News conditions are worsening.
“The situation is not getting better,” René said. “Many teachers have spoken about the working conditions and this is concerns we all share.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she added.
Global News reached out to Winnipeg police regarding the recent reports of violence against teachers in Manitoba schools, but they declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the association is asking for more help, calling for smaller class sizes and requesting more support from counsellors, psychologists and special education services.
“Violence against educators should never be normalized, regardless of its source,” Klausen said. “Schools cannot continue to absorb the consequences of chronic underfunding.”
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