Teachers claim heads bully staff

By Justin Parkinson
BBC News education reporter, at the NASUWT conference

Many head teachers are bullying staff, raising stress levels and causing some to resign, an education union says.

The NASUWT, holding its annual conference in Brighton, has voted for more school leaders to be disciplined.

Teachers had suffered health problems and breakdowns as a result of bullying, delegates heard.

Sue Percival, of the union's national executive, said it was a "cancer" on the profession.

'Continually undermined'

She said: "It is creating a climate of fear and uncertainty and causing unfair stress, which is damaging working relationships and destroying morale."

The conference heard that some heads continually undermined teachers in front of colleagues, parents and pupils.

One had harangued a member of staff who was diabetic and had suffered three heart attacks.

Another teacher had been bullied because she was physically small.

Delegates called for local authorities and school governors to "discharge properly their duty of care to staff".

Ms Percival said: "Nine times out of 10, governors will back the head teacher.

"We've got to have a way of dealing with the problem of bullying.

"The only way to deal with this cancer is through collective action and legislation."

Susan Jones, a teacher from Derby, asked: "How would you like to go to school every day, knowing nothing you can do is right, that at every opportunity your manager will put you down in front of your colleagues?"

The union is calling for head teachers' and senior teachers' professional development to include "personnel training, including staff welfare".

It also wants schools and local authorities to "monitor the incidence of workplace bullying and take disciplinary action in proven cases".