The Independent Education Union (IEU) has urged non-government school employers to address the increasing violence and harassment directed towards teachers and support staff.
In a statement released by the union, deputy secretary of the NSW/ACT branch David Towson highlighted growing concerns over assaults and sexual harassment by students in both Catholic and independent schools.
“Our members are reporting increasing incidents of violence and sexual harassment by students directed towards teachers and other staff in schools, and we are calling on their employers to produce a clear picture of what is happening and what they’re doing about it,” Towson said.
The IEU represents more than 32,000 staff across Catholic and independent schools, early childhood centres, and post-secondary institutions in the region. The union has written to all Catholic dioceses and the Association of Independent Schools (AIS) seeking meetings to address the issue, though some parties have yet to respond.
Recent figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research revealed the scale of the issue. According to a report published in The Sydney Morning Herald, nearly 2,300 assaults occurred on school premises in the year leading up to June 2024, a number just below the previous year’s 2,460.
In addition to rising assault numbers, incidents of intimidation, stalking, and sexual touching are on the rise, as is the possession of weapons. Police are increasingly being called to intervene in school-related incidents.
Push for stronger protection in schools
“This problem is escalating in all school sectors and it is unacceptable,” Towson said, calling for urgent measures to ensure staff safety. He insisted employers to introduce confidential reporting mechanisms, conduct thorough investigations, and take appropriate action against students who perpetrate violence or harassment.
The union also emphasised the need for training programs aimed at preventing harassment. These would raise awareness among both staff and students about the impact of harassment and outline strategies for intervention and prevention.
Towson referenced the Respect@Work reforms, passed in late 2022, which place a legal responsibility on employers to eliminate unlawful behaviour in the workplace. These reforms require employers to act on incidents of not only sex discrimination but also sexual harassment and conduct that creates a hostile environment. The legislation highlights employers’ duty to address student misconduct directed towards staff members.
“This positive duty imposes a legal obligation on employers to take meaningful action to prevent unlawful conduct in the workplace, including behaviour by students towards employees,” Towson said.
“We urge all non-government school employers to clarify the extent of the problem and to take real action to create the safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces to which all staff are entitled.”