Who’d be a teacher? It was once one of the most respected of professions. A secure job too, assuming you didn’t filch from the stationery cupboard or clip a child over the ear.

Decades later, I remember several of my teachers with real affection and gratitude: Dusty Miller, so-called because of his chalky fingers, who patiently drilled enough maths into me to scrape through an O-Grade; Miss Tainsh, the most interesting member of the primary school staff room, who confessed, Miss Brodie-like, that being single was great, once you’d got over the shame. Her classes passed in a flash.

There were many others, all of them approachable, dedicated, witty and - in the best sense of the word - unforgettable. In light of recent reports, though, which suggest that for some teachers facing a class is like running a daily gauntlet, I wonder what they would think of life in a modern school.

The recent publication of the Scottish Government’s Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research Report 2023 shows a pronounced rise in low-level and seriously disruptive behaviour towards teaching staff in both primary and secondary schools. One in five female teachers in Scotland say they have experienced physical abuse or violence from pupils several times a week in the previous 12 months. The figure for males is 3%.

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At the same time, research from the NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, shows a similar trend, confirming that female teachers in Scotland have been markedly more affected than their male colleagues, suffering more cases of being hit or punched (19% compared to 12%), shoved or barged (39% to 29%), kicked (11% to 8%), spat at (9% to 6%), and headbutted (2% to 1%).

Are they referring to teaching or bare-knuckle fighting? Putting aside, for a moment, the fact that women appear to be bearing the brunt of bad behaviour, the very words headbutted, punched, spat at and kicked paint a picture of an education system literally under attack. Unsurprisingly, many teachers have to take time off work as a result of what they have experienced.

The Government report details the extent of the issue - worse than its last report in 2016 - and suggests ways in which difficulties might be addressed. Needless to say, considerably more resources are deemed necessary, in part because many of the students who are disruptive - dysregulated is the term used - have additional needs, such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

The Herald: There has been a marked rise in the number of disruptive pupilsThere has been a marked rise in the number of disruptive pupils (Image: Getty)

Earlier access to child and adolescent mental health services, therefore, would act as a preventative measure, helping reduce problems as students advance through school. So too more support staff in class. The question, of course, is where does that money come from? And in the absence of a sudden windfall, what else can be done?

Without a doubt, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. Contributory factors are the cost of living crisis, and the ubiquitous use of mobile phones and vapes, which cause countless discipline issues. Throw all that into the mix, and you have an educational Molotov cocktail, ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Could the rise in aggression towards teachers be any more troubling? Sadly, yes. As one teacher quoted in the NUSUWT’s report said: “Myself and my female colleagues have seen a marked increase in pupils completely ignoring us or degrading us, only to turn around and listen to our male counterparts without question. There seems to be a gender aspect to our recent behaviour issues.”

So, into an already precarious situation is added a pernicious and profoundly unsettling misogyny, in which women are treated as inferior, invisible, easy targets.

Misogyny, as with most prejudices, is learnt behaviour. No toddler or child thinks women are second-class citizens unless those around them are encouraging this view by the way they behave. It is a deep-rooted and escalating cultural issue that reverberates far beyond the classroom. When encountered in a school setting, however, misogyny is deeply disturbing, since it overrides the innate respect youngsters might otherwise have held for their teachers, and which it seems is still given to men.

Quite apart from being physically abused, women teachers have spoken of body shaming and being called names. As a result, some are reducing their hours, not applying for senior posts or, inevitably, leaving the profession forever. Shockingly, their gender has become a barrier to their aspirations and their well-being.

Not all behavioural problems can be attributed to students with additional needs, however. Society-wide there is diminishing respect for authority, or indeed outright aggression towards it – think of the Niddrie fireworks night attacks on police, which involved school-age kids, or the recent riots in Auchinleck. And as with every other aspect of society, its issues and attitudes quickly wash into schools, obliging teachers to handle them.

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Without millions to spend on extra support for those who require it, what can schools do to turn this incoming tide of misbehaviour and violence? It goes without saying that school leadership plays a crucial role in creating an environment where it is clear to students what is and is not acceptable. Handled well, disruptive incidents can often be prevented from escalating. But even with the finest headteachers and staff at the helm there will be still be cases of appalling conduct, and times when it is impossible to know the right thing to do.

Regular high-level training for teachers in how to handle and defuse difficult situations is surely crucial, giving staff the skills to protect themselves and their students. Support for teachers feeling embattled should be immediately available too. More specifically, the curriculum should address misogyny at all age levels. The more who understand the roots of gender discrimination, and are ready to call it out, the greater the chance of tackling this mindset and the hazards it creates.

From the outset, trainee teachers should be thoroughly prepared for the tougher aspects of what might lie ahead in their probation year and beyond. That way, they will be ready when it occurs, rather than shellshocked.

As is obvious, especially when money is short, there is no easy, single answer. The school environment was always challenging, but now is increasingly so. What we must avoid, however, is this generation’s Dusty Millers and Miss Tainshes taking one look and choosing another career. That would represent a great loss for everyone in the educational system, but for students above all.