Strong surge in violence against school support staff in Quebec

The union that represents the province’s school support staff is calling on the government to intervene after data revealed a 55 per cent increase in violence against its members over the past four years.

According to the Federation of School Support Personnel (FPSS-CSQ), 13,464 acts of violence against school support employees were recorded by 61 school service centers in 2023.

The union, which compiled the data through freedom of information requests, called the situation “troubling.”

Out of a total of 72 centers, 18 did not have any data or information and 11 did not respond at all.

Éric Pronovost, president of the FPSS-CSQ, said that 96.4 percent of violent incidents directed against staff were perpetrated by students. The data covers abuse against several types of school workers, including special education technicians, special needs teachers, child care technicians, maintenance workers, among others.

“The government, school service centers, employers now have an obligation to act,” Pronovost said in an interview recently.

“Mr. (Bernard) Drainville, it is time to stop the speeches and the meetings. The plan must be implemented. His famous plan to combat violence and intimidation 2023-2028 should have been implemented. work two or three years ago.”

Pronovost adds that the violence experienced by support staff includes harassment, physical, psychological, sexual and cyber violence.

He noted that cases of spitting, biting or hitting the ground are common in schools.

“It’s huge, which is why we’re trying to raise awareness and encourage our members to report these incidents. For years these incidents have been trivialized,” he said.

Asked by CTV News about the data, Michael Cohen, spokesperson for the English Montreal School Board, said: “I can only tell you that if there were any incidents, they were not reported to my office. »

Additionally, the union conducted a survey in March 2023 which showed that 37,000 workers have resigned over the past five years, exacerbating the staff shortage.

“People eventually give up because they don’t want to continue to experience these incidents,” Pronovost said.

“Quebec schools must be safe and secure to provide the best possible education to our children and young people. This must stop.”

A spokesperson for the Lester B. Pearson School Board said they are aware of the data and every effort is being made to ensure a “safe and caring environment” for its staff and students.

The union said it wants to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Education, school service centers, schools and parents to resolve this issue.

He also stressed the need to provide more resources to parents. “It’s essential to work with parents,” Pronovost said.

The union said a lack of resources has contributed to increased violence in schools and calls for zero tolerance for violence, better prevention measures for students and additional training for the staff.

The Ministry of Education did not respond to a request for comment.