Yukon Teachers' Association says classroom violence is top concern

Violence in the classrooms is the biggest issue facing Yukon's teachers, says the president-elect of the Yukon Teachers' Association. 

Jill Mason says spitting, kicking, scratching and punching by students is commonplace in the territory's schools, and she believes the problems are getting worse.

Last week, a Grade 3 teacher was injured when a student threw a chair, hitting the teacher in the face, CBC News has learned.

"It is not OK that people leave their jobs with wounds," Mason says.

"It is not OK if you walk away with scratches. It is not OK if you walk away with bruises. That's something that maybe soldiers deal with, or RCMP deal with it. It should not be something that teachers have to deal with."

Protocol on violence

Yukon's Department of Education has been working on a Violence Threat Risk Assessment Protocol. Mason says teachers have been trained in that type of assessment, and she calls it a 'step forward' but says it's designed to deal serious threats rather than day-to-day issues. 

Mason says some teachers have been trained on how to safely restrain students but adds teachers are not police officers. 

"I'm not sure that, to the degree that we're doing it now, is the direction that we should be going," Mason says.

She's also urging the government to take the issue seriously, saying school violence affects more than just the teachers and students who are in class at the time. 

"It affects anybody who's in the hallway, it affects parents if they're visiting the school, and it affects all of the other staff, who are colleagues of these people who are dealing with this. So it is a big issue."

President's priorities

Mason says tackling classroom violence will be her top priority when she takes over as the president of the teacher's union.

Mason was elected last week, winning over Gary Morgan for the top job. In July, she will replace outgoing union president Katherine Mackwood.

Mason says, in addition to the issue of violence, she also wants to focus on the quantity and quality of housing in rural communities for teachers. 

Members of the Yukon Teachers' Association will meet in Whitehorse this weekend for their annual convention.