Teachers at Moorside Primary School in Greater Manchester have voted to strike. They are protesting against unsafe working conditions, which have resulted from the mismanagement of violent and abusive students. The strike follows the recent turnover of leadership at the school. Educators and advocates warn the new administration has failed to address entrenched, long-standing student behavior issues.
Teachers of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) took action. They took this step after facing several instances of combined verbal abuse and assault on staff. Jac Casson, member of NASUWT national executive committee for Greater Manchester, described a worrying picture. Employees were routinely mistreated by students, being swore at, punched, kicked and shoved.
In the latest incident, three people were attacked by the same pupil in quick succession, leading teachers to feel the need to intervene. Casson explained that this incident and the school’s failure to implement effective policies for managing verbal and physical abuse led to the decision to strike.
“We had suspended our strike plans but the governors have not worked with us, and we decided to put our vote into action after an incident where three people were injured by the same student.” – Jac Casson
Violence ensued, resulting in destruction of property and damage to classrooms including at Moorside Primary school. In response, the school immediately put all other students into lockdown to protect them. What the strike brings to light is that educators are fed up. They say they cannot rely on school governors, who they say have brushed aside their safety concerns.
Casson focused on the lack of sufficient concern or effort among this new leadership to address the problem of non-educational aggressive students. She stated that “no school can guarantee staff will not be assaulted but the risk can be managed – that has not been done this year.”
The NASUWT trade union was the first to postpone their strike ballot, then cancel it. All they wanted was for the school’s leaders to treat their safety concerns with seriousness and diligence. As the situation continued to deteriorate, members felt they had to make a stand.
“Essentially it has not been dealt with and it wasn’t until our members had been balloted that the school responded with risk assessments of particular students.” – Jac Casson
Continuing their struggle, Moorside Primary teachers have announced eight further one-day strikes. The teachers claim that the dangerous handling of violent students endangers their colleagues and fellow students “in a harmful way.” This growing conflict plays out against a backdrop of the stark contrast between the old school building and the new one with its green colored gates.
