Union's call over compensation

Pay-outs for teacher accident and injury cases hit £250,000 in 2003

A teachers' union has said money spent on compensation could be better used to prevent accidents and attacks on staff.

Last year local authorities paid out £250,000 to claimants and to lawyers handling cases against them.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) claims the sums indicate more can be done to prevent injury in schools, colleges and universities.

However, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) has said the sum is down from £500,000 in 2002.

It claimed this showed that educational establishments were becoming safer places for teachers to work in.

The list of recent claimants in 2003 included a teacher receiving £1,000 for being hit by a chair thrown by a pupil and £2,000 handed out after a member of staff was punched in the eye.

However, the most common pay-outs were for slips and falls on premises.