A new national survey suggests nearly 80 per cent of the 4,000 education workers who responded say workplace violence is impacting their mental health — a figure that isn’t surprising to some who work in P.E.I.’s system.

Coleen Jackson, president of CUPE Local 3260, which represents provincial education workers, said there are currently more resignations than retirements among school support staff.

She cited violent incidents, as well as employees being overworked and underpaid, as contributing factors.

“The number of incident reports that we see is astounding and it actually equates to several other provinces across … the country,” Jackson said. “We’re very small, so that’s concerning.”

Andy Doran, president of the P.E.I. Teachers Federation, said a survey of members in 2021 found seven per cent of education workers had experienced some form of violence.

By 2024, that number had jumped to 22 per cent. 

“That’s not who witnessed it. That’s who actually experienced violence in the classroom,” he said. “You’re talking from kindergarten to Grade 12. That’s an alarming increase in a number of cases.”

Based on meetings he’s had with colleagues across the country, Doran said incidents often go unreported. He said a stronger tracking system is needed.

‘Pulling every lever’

Robin Croucher, the province’s minister of education and early years, said the survey didn’t come as a surprise to him either.

He said he’s heard first-hand of the challenges within the system, including violence, and that the government is “pulling every lever” to create change.

“They’re terrible conversations to have. No educator should or school staff should have to endure some of what they’re enduring in our system,” Croucher said. 

“Their jobs are difficult enough day-to-day without having that added to it.”

Croucher said work is being done with both of the province’s school authorities to update the reporting process and establish procedures on how to respond.

“If we’re going to be able to measure any success that we have in moving the needle in the right direction on this and making our school environment safer for our educators, we need to have that data,” he said.

The survey also found that 52 per cent of respondents said they would leave the education field if they could find another job that pays just as well.

Jackson said the province’s school system is already strained and short-staffed, at times forcing workers to take on additional students who require support.

Those who stick with the work, she said, do it for the love of the job and the students.

“We love what we do,” she said. “I think fundamentally we agree between the employer and us that it is a problem, and we really want to get down to a solution.”