TEACHERS and other school staff have been subjected to thousands of violent attacks at work over the past two years, including some which resulted in trips to the hospital.

Between August 2017 and July 2018, there were nine incidents of violence in schools which led to staff being taken to hospital, with five other staff visiting hospitals in the previous year.

These figures, released as part of a freedom of information request, show a total of 4,000 incidents of abuse towards teachers and other workers since October 2016.

While the numbers of these attacks had been in decline prior to July 2017, last year saw an increase in violent incidents for the first time in three years to 2,062.

Glasgow Labour MSP Johann Lamont has now hit out at the council over the levels of violence.

She said: “The figures showing an unacceptable increase in violence against teaching staff across the city are incredibly alarming.

“No one deserves to go to their place of work with fear of violence, it is important to ensure teachers, school staff and pupils can go to school in the morning feeling that it is a safe place to go.

“Glasgow City Council must urgently review how it deals with violence against teachers and look at what more can be done to reverse this worrying increase.”

While figures were up over the past year, these are still lower than the five year high.

Between August 2015 and October 2016 there were more than 3,500 such attacks.

Across Glasgow more than 200 schools and nurseries experienced at least one incident of violence towards staff in the past two years.

Teacher’s union the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) has called for these incidents to be dealt with firmly by schools.

An EIS spokesperson said: “The EIS is clear that a zero tolerance approach should be taken to incidents involving violence or the threat of violence towards both teachers and pupils.

“Teachers and support staff work extremely hard to ensure a positive and welcoming environment for pupils.

“It is essential that when serious incidents do occur, they are dealt with swiftly and firmly – this may include police involvement where a teacher has been physically assaulted or placed under severe threat.”

Glasgow City Council have now said that investment in schools across the city will work as a preventative measure to manage behaviour.

A spokeswoman added: “We have a zero tolerance approach of any violent behaviour towards staff – staff need to feel safe in their work.

“Children and young people need positive role models in order to improve and learn how to manage their behaviour. This cannot be done in isolation but needs to be done as a school community.

“That’s why Glasgow invests so much in early intervention and nurturing principles across our nurseries, primary and secondary schools.”