Data reveals 24 staff assaulted every day in Glasgow’s schools.

A new probe has revealed that 6420 instances of violence, threats or verbal abuse were reported to council bosses by employees last year - including 4662 in education and 1563 in social work.

The data show an average of 24.5 incidents are taking place in Glasgow’s schools every day of the 190-day educational year - more than in any other council in Scotland.

GMB Scotland, which represents school staff, including pupil support assistants, janitors and catering and admin workers, obtained the figures under Freedom of Information legislation. They say the statistics confirm the scale of the crisis, but warn that they are only ‘the tip of the iceberg’.

There were more than 44,600 reports made by local authority staff last year and John Slaven, the union’s organiser in Glasgow City Council, said the figures were no longer a surprise to him.

John Slaven (Image: supplied) He explained: “These figures are shocking, but sadly no longer unexpected.

“Violence against staff in our schools is clearly at crisis levels but official records are still underestimating the scale of that crisis. These reports are just the tip of the iceberg. From what our members tell us, the incidents of violence and abuse that are not being reported, recorded or investigated could far outstrip those that are.

“For every one that is reported, another one or possibly two are not. That must change as a matter of urgency and staff must be given the time and encouragement to report incidents properly and should expect those incidents to be properly investigated and acted on.”

A survey of GMB members has revealed two around thirds of incidents are never recorded, while three out of four victims say they receive no feedback if they do report an incident.

Union chiefs say the toll the physical and verbal abuse is having on their members is unacceptable and are now piloting a campaign to bolster reporting systems.

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Posters will be put up in schools, including a QR code to allow members to quickly and easily detail incidents to the union. GMB bosses say they will use the reports to help ensure the local authority has an accurate understanding of the scale of the crisis, and if effective, the posters will be rolled out.

Mr Slaven says that Glasgow workers are often discouraged from reporting incidents, believing it to be futile.

He added: “Staff are too often expected to carry on working after an incident of physical or verbal abuse and told to report it when they have spare time, which in reality is never.

“Details will be lost and many staff members, who may have been shaken but unhurt, see little point in spending time on a report that they suspect will end up filed and forgotten.

“The posters will give staff the opportunity to easily and quickly to tell us what is happening to detail the scale of the violence and abuse being endured by school staff.

“No worker should go to their work in fear and feel relief if they arrive home unhurt.

“No one should be asked to go to their work to be punched, kicked, bit, spat on or expecting to suffer verbal or physical abuse.

“Our members do not feel the authorities are tackling or even recognising the violence in schools but are instead glossing over it and allowing it become normalised.”

The GMB Scotland survey of almost 800 school support staff revealed 68 per cent of workers feel the situation has worsened over the last three years.

Almost half, 47 per cent, do not believe local authorities are taking the issue of violence against workers seriously while 63 per cent say they have had no training in de-escalating potentially explosive situations.

A series of summits on school violence called by the Scottish Government last year were criticised for understating the scale of the crisis and failing to decide on decisive action.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth admitted the system of monitoring and recording violent incidents was flawed.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council told the Glasgow Times that abuse towards school staff will never be acceptable.

They added: “Verbal or physical abuse of our staff in any form is not acceptable and is not be tolerated. We actively encourage staff to report incidents so that they can be dealt with in the appropriate way.

“Our officers meet regularly with trade union colleagues where this will be discussed.”