$15m in two months: Massive teacher WorkCover claims for physical, psychological injury

A recently retired Qld school teacher says he was punched, choked and nearly stabbed in the eye with a pencil as shocking new figures reveal the rampant violence throughout the state.

Queensland teachers have been paid more than $14.4m in two months for WorkCover claims relating to physical and psychological injuries.

The shocking figures lay bare the rampant violence faced by teachers in Queensland schools with the number of claims spiking by 13 per cent in the past year.

Government documents show teachers were paid $9,527,000 in physical injury claims and $4,917,000 in psychological injury claims between July 1 and August 25.

Claims totalled $50,725,000 for physical injury and $32,100,000 for psychological injury during the 2023/24 financial year.

It comes after the Queensland Teachers Union revealed horrific incidents of lived abuse as it launched a campaign calling for better protection of education staff called “my workplace is not like yours”.

Stories of teachers being spat on, verbally vilified by parents and having their belongings destroyed were publicised in an effort to shed light on the mental and physical health impacts suffered by teachers at the hands of students.

Spat on, verbally abused and threatened with physical violence: Teachers have revealed the physical and emotional abuse they receive in the classroom

Data from the Department of Education also revealed in the 2023/24 reporting period, Queensland’s teachers had submitted 4698 claims, up from 4153 the previous year.

Physical WorkCover claims increased to 4187 in 2023/24 from 3741 in 2022/23 while psychological claims increased to 511 in 2023/24 period up from 411 the previous year.

Recently retired primary school teacher and former principal Robert Amedee, 61, said he had been assaulted several times including being punched in the stomach, choked with his own tie and having a pencil that was thrown at him nearly stab his eye before he retired.

On a separate occasion, Mr Amedee said there was a child in his class who was screaming f--k to girls “at the top of his voice” regularly.

“I phoned the school leadership and sent him down and told and he got down there, thirty seconds later, I had a phone call saying ‘he’s denying saying it, do you have any witnesses?’”

Mr Amedee said other times, children had used the word c--- and described about 20 per cent of students as “pretty hard core” behaviourally.

“When you invest so much of yourself in something so long a little bit of your identity probably disappears with it, I suppose. But the same time, there was also a sense of like relief (when I retired),” he said.

Unions and experts say it comes as no surprise that physical WorkCover claims have increased alongside the level of occupational violence teachers experience in Queensland schools.

Teachers Association of Queensland President Scott Stanford said teachers were at their wits end.

“They’ve put up with it for so long, and it’s got to the stage now where they’re now being assaulted and hurt, with very little being done to support them, so that’s why they’re now going on WorkCover,” he said.

Mr Stanford said the increase in physical assault was a “societal issue”.

“I’ve been teaching for 30 years, and when I first started my degree, if you told a parent their child was misbehaving, the parent would then deal with the child.”

“You now tell a parent their child misbehaving, the parent comes back and abuses you and says you’re not teaching them properly,” he said.

Queensland Teachers Union Acting Vice-President Josh Cleary said occupational violence was a major concern that required urgent community wide attention.

“Occupational violence and aggression in all forms is one of many the negative effects of failing to fund Qld state schools appropriately and equitably with their private counterparts,” Mr Cleary said.

“Queensland state schools need more resources, more teaching recruits, and more incentives to retain our valued workforce.”

Education Minister Di Farmer said everyone deserved to be safe at work.

“The Miles government is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our teachers and school staff,” she said.

“We have released our ‘No excuse for school abuse’ campaign recently and will be implementing a sector-wide occupational violence and aggression strategy...

“The department also has an active approach to work, health and safety over recent years has led to greater awareness and encouragement for employees to formally report incidents of physical, verbal or online violence and aggression, regardless of the severity of the injury.

“Slips, trips and falls still remain the main reason for WorkCover claims, and the increase in related costs for medical procedures is also a factor in the increase in costs.”

Originally published as $15m in two months: Massive teacher WorkCover claims for physical, psychological injury