I am an educational assistant. I work in a small class with special needs students. I am hit/kicked on a regular basis. I’ve needed to leave work to see a doctor. Thankfully I’ve never been off long term, yet. We are constantly short staffed. We sometimes have to evacuate our class due to a violent student. Our admin are great and do their best to support us. These students need more help, more support. We are failing these students because our hands are tied by the board and the government. Students and staff should not have to be fearful to go to school/work.

I’m listing all of the incidents that I’ve experienced (that I can remember )since the start of my EA journey in late 2017.

On a regular basis I am subjected to: slapping, kicking, punching, pinching, spitting, sworn & screamed at, pushing, foot stomping & head butting.
Occasionally I am subjected to: body slamming, biting, hair pulling & threats
Once I was slapped hard across the face, whipped with a gait belt across the face just below the eye and knocked in the head by a students head

Sadly I’ve witnessed several violent incidents against coworkers & students.
This is physically and mentally exhausting.

Thanks you for collecting our stories and hopefully shedding light on this crisis!

I’m not even sure how to explain the stuff that goes on here. There is no admin support to the staff, it’s like they don’t exist. They are only worried about how it appears/their image and really don’t give the staff the support they need. There is a definite divide here. The behaviours are out of control and there is never any follow through to deal with it. Kids rule the school. They do what they want when they want without any real fear of consequences. It’s sad I’m told it never used to be this way. The staff all talk about how times have changed and they used to feel so supported before. I understand there has been admin change but this shouldn’t be happening. Staff should feel safe when they go to work. The EAs are great for the most part and I feel support each other as best they can. However I have seen admin not treat them with the respect they deserve and if I’m being honest some have been treated extremely poorly. This school is very large and needs an Admin who knows how to support the team and deal with extreme behaviours. Sadly this team isn’t it.

Extreme safety issues, lack of support, Admin not supportive/lack lustre. Amazing staff, the E.A’s are top tier.

This school has gone downhill over the last 3–4 years. Many staff, including myself, left last year due to poor working conditions and a complete lack of support from administration. Especially hard-hit are the educational assistants, who are doing their best while being constantly understaffed and overwhelmed. Safety is a major concern — students often run through the halls unsupervised, and violent or disruptive behaviour is rarely addressed with little to no consequences. Staff are regularly exposed to violence and classrooms are frequently evacuated. There’s nowhere near enough support for students with special needs. If you think your child is getting a quality education, think again. They’re being exposed to chaos, violence, and a culture of disrespect. It’s time to ask what’s really going on.

I’m an educational assistant. I work in a small class. I’m hit kicked and punched every day at my job. There have been days that I go home unable to take care of my own young children due to injuries