20% of SNAs assaulted in class every day

Hundreds of special needs assistants (SNAs) have been assaulted by the children they care for in classrooms, but they are more concerned about the dismissive attitude of their schools.

A survey of more than 1,900 SNAs by their union Impact, found that more than one third experienced assaults on a weekly basis, with one in five being assaulted daily.

Almost 10,500 SNAs work with children with a range of care needs, many with extremely challenging behaviours that requires the full-time help of an SNA in class. Almost half of the surveyed SNAs work in special schools, which cater for children with more extreme needs, or in mainstream schools with units for pupils with special needs.

The survey details published at Impact’s education conference in Kilkenny revealed the incidents inc-lude hitting, biting, shoving, attempted strangulation, hair-pulling, scratching, slapping, pushing, and being hit with objects. Half of those who have been assaulted said it was mild enough to continue working without difficulty; one in three had some difficulty; but 14% required medical attention, including 18 who were hospitalised.

However, while almost 60% of all those surveyed have been assaulted at least once in the last five years, almost half of cases have met with a dismissive response from school management. All but 3% of the SNAs were women and more than two thirds have taken no leave from work as result of an assault.

The biggest concern appears to be the response of most school boards and principals, which Impact assistant general secretary Dessie Robinson said was totally inadequate and put safety of staff, and potentially pupils, at risk.

“Some principals take assaults seriously, but the overwhelming experience of SNAs is that managers and management boards are dismissive issue of the issue. They see assaults as part of the job, they just shrug their shoulders and expect staff to carry on as if nothing has happened.”

The loss of SNA supports or their sharing among larger numbers of children, due to caps on staffing imposed as part of the troika bailout, were among concerns expressed by primary teachers at their conference this week. Fine Gael TD Simon Harris yesterday welcomed the fact that decisions of the National Council for Special Education, which allocates SNAs and resource teachers, will come under Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan’s remit at the end of April.

‘Part of job’

- School managers see assaults by pupils on special needs assistants (SNAs) as “part of the job”, the assistant general secretary of the Impact trade union claimed.

Dessie Robinson made his remarks at the annual conference of Impact’s education division, while unveiling the results of a survey which showed almost 60% of SNAs say they have been assaulted by the pupils they work with.

Impact members voted to ask all schools to offer a hepatitis B vaccine to all SNAs because their survey showed that some serious assaults result in blood injuries.

School managements’ response to assaults was “dismissive” in 43% of cases, the survey of over 1,900 SNAs revealed. Mr Robinson described the response of “most” school principals and management boards as “totally inadequate”.

Delegates in Kilkenny passed a motion calling for Impact members working in education to get “the same protection” offered to members in the health division, via a physical assault scheme.

Conor Kane