WorkCover claims reveal physical and mental harm to Qld teachers and principals

The details of more than 2400 WorkCover claims have laid bare the physical and mental harm being done to teachers by unruly students. SEARCH THE LIST

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Pat Murphy

• Rape, death threats: 10 years of hell

More than 2400 WorkCover claims have laid bare the shocking number of teachers and principals being bitten, kicked, punched, spat on, headbutted and scratched by students at Queensland schools.

They have also highlighted the number of psychological claims related to repeated assaults and exposure to abusive students, bullying, threats and a lack of support from supervisors.

Between July 1, 2023, and July 15, 2024, more than $18.7m in claims were lodged by Department of Education and Training staff who identified as principals, deputy principals and teachers, according to data obtained by The Courier-Mail through Right to Information.

The top 10 claims alone were worth over $1.26m with seven of those related to psychological trauma, anxiety or stress, of which four were from principals.

The highest claim of $227,576.85 was for a principal’s ongoing sustained trauma with repeated exposure to occupational violence over many months.

The second highest was $143,496.93 for a high school teacher’s post-traumatic disorder after multiple threatened and psychological events over time.

The third highest of $131,638.60 was for a school principal’s anxiety/stress disorder after vicarious trauma, an ongoing high level of stress and trauma due to the nature of work and occupational violence.

The largest payout for an assault by a student was $122,172.08 for a hip injury sustained by a school principal.

Queensland Teachers’ Union acting president Leah Olsson said Queensland state schools were fighting for the federal government to fully fund schools to parity with private schools.

She said the funding shortfall contributed to a range of serious issues being reported by members, with rising incidence of occupational violence and aggression among the most concerning.

“State school teachers and school leaders deserve protection and a safe workplace just like every single Queenslander reading this story,” she said.

“State and federal politicians are well aware of our current teacher shortage crisis, rising occupational violence and aggression and unmanageable workload, none of these issues can be fixed by continuing to fully fund private schools at the expense of state schools.

“Until our schools are fairly resourced, our teachers and school leaders will be at risk of serious injury and psychological trauma and frankly they deserve better.”

Queensland Association of State School Principals president Pat Murphy said every school across the country was facing challenges in supporting students with increasing levels of need.

He said the details of WorkCover claims outlined the need for mutual respect and collaboration between parents, school principals and staff in ensuring the best outcomes for students.

“Schools are vibrant hubs who endeavour to offer a range of curriculum offerings to our students, with this comes risk, as school leaders we do everything possible to mitigate the risk to students and staff without compromising programs,” he said.

“One incident of violence toward any staff member, in any school, is too many.”

Schools last week received their Reasonable Adjustment Resource allocation for next year, understood to be an increase in investment across the system for students with disabilities.

Schools are also expected to receive money from next year to engage additional staff or supplement existing specialists to assist with student behaviour.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said it was not good enough there had been a five-fold increase in teaching-related WorkCover claims in the past 10 years.

He said the state government would better support Queensland teachers by increasing the number of teacher support staff, teacher aides, and behavioural specialists in schools.

“Teachers have been forced to deal with shocking behavioural issues with little to no support and this has led to talented teachers leaving the profession,” he said.

“We will take a zero-tolerance approach to violence and restore safety in our classrooms to give teachers peace-of-mind and students the education they deserve.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of teachers is our number one priority, because everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and valued at work.”

Mr Murphy said principals were looking forward to additional resources being provided to schools in 2025, which would enhance behaviour support and better cater for students with disabilities.

Queensland Teachers’ Union acting president Leah Olsson