Aggression in schools is the tip of a larger iceberg

Question: The government has announced that it is looking into the problem of aggression in schools. What should teachers make of that and how is it related to collective bargaining?

Answer: The issue of classroom aggression has been a topic of continuing conversations between ATA president Jason Schilling and Demetrios Nicolaides, minister of education and childcare, for about two years.  In a series of meetings, Schilling shared teachers’ concerns about increasing incidents of aggression and the consequences, including serious injuries to teachers and school staff, the impact on students who are committing aggression and on other students in the classroom, and the ability of schools to provide safe and caring spaces for teaching and learning. ATA research conducted between 2022 and 2025, shared with the minister, highlighted the following:

• Prevalence of aggression (micro and macro): Fifty-two per cent of teachers reported experiencing bullying or physical violence in their work environment within just the first few months of the school year. These incidents were predominantly in person (95 per cent) and most often perpetrated by students (about 60 per cent of cases) in the teacher’s own classroom.
• Lifetime exposure: Across their careers, an overwhelming 93 per cent of Alberta teachers and school leaders have encountered some form of aggression (verbal, physical or bullying) directed at them. This includes aggression from students, and to a lesser extent from parents (reported by 15 per cent of teachers).
• Injuries and impacts: Up to 50 per cent of teachers have suffered physical and/or psychological injury as a result of aggression and/or violence in schools. The fallout of aggression is far-reaching – 90 per cent report emotional effects like stress, anxiety or fear. Eighty-four per cent report that it is hurting their job satisfaction and morale, and 70 per cent share that they have experienced physical symptoms (such as sleep loss and headaches) due to school violence. More than half (56 per cent) of teachers who were victims say they had to take time off work in the aftermath of serious incidents, highlighting the toll on teacher well-being.

These representations caught the attention of the minister, who in late June announced the creation of the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team. This team has a mandate to deliver a report with advice and recommendations to Alberta Education and Childcare to inform a combination of practical solutions and policy by fall 2025. Some recommendations could begin rolling out as soon as the 2025/26 school year.  

The ATA, along with other interested parties, was given the opportunity to provide representation to the Action Team and named four teachers, each with relevant and recent classroom experience and good understanding of the policy environment. These teachers are, collectively, representative of large urban, smaller urban and rural schools. The Action Team has been meeting frequently over the summer months and is currently in the process of hearing additional insights from teachers and interest groups. ATA representatives have so far been impressed by the process and the efforts of government officials and facilitators to listen to teachers.

The challenge, though, is that aggression is the tip of a larger iceberg. It is only one element contributing to classroom complexity, with both aggression and complexity being consequences of large class sizes, inadequate support for inclusion and insufficient funding. Ensuring that these larger issues are not glossed over in a race to find a “quick fix” for aggression has been a major challenge and focus of teacher representatives, as well as other participants, in their conversations with the government.

While classroom complexity is an important theme in the current round of negotiations, the reality is that the collective bargaining process is not designed to effectively resolve complex, diverse and nuanced policy issues. The fact that teachers are raising this issue in negotiations is a mark of our desperation to advance some solutions – any solutions – in the face of continuing government and employer inaction. 

That the government has established the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team should not, therefore, be construed as an attempt to undermine collective bargaining with teachers, but rather as a sign that continued teacher advocacy is making a real difference. Even the premier in recent comments has noted that “classroom complexity” is a major challenge for schools. One way or another, teachers will have a collective agreement, but we should anticipate that advocacy on the related issues of aggression, complexity, support for inclusion and adequacy of education funding will continue, even after bargaining has reached its conclusion and in light of the recommendations of the Action Team. 

Questions for consideration in this ­column are welcome. Please address them to Dennis Theobald at dennis.theobald@ata.ab.ca.