One in five teachers have been HIT by pupils this year, report reveals - amid ... trends now
One in five teachers have been hit by pupils this year, amid claims children's behaviour has become more violent since the pandemic.
Spitting, swearing, fighting, pushing and chair-throwing were among things happening more frequently in schools across the country, according to a new survey.
The research, commissioned by the BBC, asked 9,000 teachers in England about their experiences managing behaviour in the classroom - and a higher proportion reported violent behaviour compared to two years ago.
The impact of Covid lockdowns has long been blamed for the change in attitude, with one boss claiming parents are 'less tolerant' than before the pandemic, 'and that communicates itself to students as well'.
Research from this year also found the number of suspensions has doubled in six years, with parents accused of not having 'any respect or regard for school rules'.
Supply teacher Lorraine Meah, who has been working in the profession for 35 years, reported seeing children aged just three to four-years-old 'spitting and swearing'.
But she admitted the worst behaviour came from five and six-year-olds with 'dangerous tendencies' like throwing chairs.
She told the BBC: 'You will get three or four children in your class displaying challenging behaviour. That's hard to deal with when you've got a class of 30.'
Fifteen per cent of teachers also reported experiencing sexual harassment from a pupil.
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Teachers reported that spitting, swearing, fighting, pushing and chair-throwing were among things that happened more frequently in schools across the country. Pictured: Two school pupils fighting in the school playground (stock image)
But Nick Hurn, CEO at Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust which has schools in Durham, Sunderland Gateshead and Northumberland, said last year it was only a small minority who were causing problems.
He said both children and parents had become 'far less tolerant' since Covid.
He told The Guardian in November: 'So you do get a little bit more awkward behaviour from more children than you used to get. If they've seen the parents don't have any respect or regard for school rules, why should they?'
Zac Copley, who spent a year as a supply teacher, told the BBC it sometimes felt like a 'never-ending battle' to manage pupils' behaviour.
He recalled having to pull children apart when they were fighting one another, as displays were 'ripped off the wall'.
A graphic showing how pupil behaviour is getting worse in English schools, according to a survey conducted by the BBC
Nick Hurn, CEO at Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust which has schools in Durham, Sunderland Gateshead and Northumberland, (pictured) said last year it was only a small minority who were causing problems
On one occasion, he said a pupil who had been sent out of class had tried to break back in with a cricket bat.
The survey, commissioned using Teacher Tapp, found 30 per cent of teachers had seen a fight in the week they responded to the BBC's questions.
Two in five teachers said they had witnessed some form of aggressive behaviour which needed intervention in a single week.
Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASWUT union, told the BBC the rise in abuse in schools is down to 'cuts to specialist behaviour and mental health services' which have left teachers trying to 'fill the gaps' that require specialist input from that of a counsellor or therapist.
It comes as MailOnline revealed on Tuesday that 'scared' teachers were locking classrooms to keep violent pupils out.
One school teacher in Tower Hamlets, where recent data showed there were cases of children being suspended for using knives,
