Major surge in violence against school support staff in Quebec [Video]

The union that represents school support staff in the province is calling on the government to intervene after data reveals a 55 per cent increase in violence over the past four years against its members.

According to the Federation du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ) 13,464 acts of violence against school support employees were recorded by 61 school service centres in 2023.

The union, which compiled the data through access-to-information requests, called the situation “troubling.”

Out of a total of 72 centres, 18 did not have any data or information, and 11 did not respond at all.

Eric Pronovost, the president of the FPSS-CSQ, said that 96.4 per cent of violent incidents directed at staff were perpetrated by students. The data covers abuse against several kinds of school workers, inlcuding special education technicians, special needs teachers, child-care technicians, janitorial workers, among others. 

“The government, the school service centres, the employers …