Some teachers 'wearing Kevlar': Data shows physical violence still a problem in N.S. schools

The unions representing Nova Scotia teachers and back up faculty say schooltime force remains a top out concern for its members, as the Education Department reports tens of thousands of violent incidents in recent years. 

There were 27,486 recorded incidents in 2022-23, highlighted when the province’s auditor general issued a report sounding the alarm that school violence was on the rise and staff were not properly equipped to handle it. 

Peter Day, president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU), says he has seen the province take some positive steps to address the issue, but he doesn’t believe it’s being taken seriously enough.

“We have students who are throwing objects — heavy objects — around the classroom, which causes our classes to be evacuated. And this has a profound effect on not just the teachers, but the students themselves.” 

Nelson Scott is chair of the Nova Scotia School Board Council of Unions and president of CUPE Local 5050, which represents school support staff like teacher assistants, early childhood educators and bus drivers.

He says nearly 75 per cent of members have reported concerns about their personal safety at work to the union. 

“From hitting, gouging, heavy objects being thrown at them. Experiencing injuries with possible long-term effects, workers having to take long-term leave as a result … it’s a daily issue for us,” said Scott. 

In an email response, spokesperson Alex Burke said it’s important to keep in mind that most recorded incidents involve students at the elementary level, “while students are learning about appropriate interpersonal interactions, self-regulation and other important social emotional skills.”

Burke pointed to the new provincial student code of conduct, implemented in September 2025 to better outline consequences for students who violate the rules, as one measure the department has taken to address the issue. 

The updated code consists of a more precise definition of what constitutes a violent act, one of the key recommendations of Auditor General Kim Adair in her June 2024 report on school violence. 

It now differentiates physical violence and physical aggression. 

It describes physical violence as “using force or inciting others to use force to injure a member or members of the school community.” Physical aggression consists of “contact that includes behaviours such as shoving, pushing and scuffling, but not violently hitting or striking others.” 

Burke said 8,463 instances of physical violence have been recorded so far this school year. 

She said 64 per cent of these incidents had “no impact or minor impact on school operations and overall safety.” 

Because the department has refined its definition of violence, this year’s numbers cannot be directly compared to those of previous years, and Burke said this new data will be used as a baseline.

The NSTU has long advocated for smaller class sizes, but Day says it could be a major help in reducing violence in schools. 

“Smaller class sizes give the teachers the opportunity to build relationships with their students so that they can address these concerns before they become issues,” he said. 

The number of students allowed in a class varies depending on grade level. Students in grades 10 to 12 have the largest class size limit, with a hard cap of 32 students per class. 

Day says school psychologists, counsellors, speech language pathologists and other behavioural specialists also have “overwhelming” caseloads and are struggling to meet the needs of students. 

As for CUPE, Scott said understaffing and lack of support are also factors for his members. 

He said he wants the Education Department to treat school violence as a workplace safety hazard and play a larger role in upholding the Occupational Health and Safety Act, rather than leaving it up to individual school districts and administrators.

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