It appears as though the NLTA has touched a nerve among parents and the public in exposing the degree of violence experienced in the province’s schools.

Yesterday the union revealed some sobering facts on incidents in schools across the province, rising to almost 3,000 reported cases a year.

That represents an increase from an average of about 20 reported incidents a day to 30 and includes incidents between students as well as incidents against teachers.

One teacher recently ended up in emergency with severe facial injuries caused by an eight-year-old student.

Bullying and violence in schools dominated discussion on VOCM Open Line this morning.

One woman, with a son in grade six, described the violence in her child’s small school as “rampant.” She claims that “the bullying and assaults were so bad, we enrolled him in martial arts so that if he was attacked, he would know how to defend himself.”

She says her son’s self-confidence has been affected, and he’s been attacked and bullied on the bus and while the situation involving her son has been resolved, the bullying and harassment continues against other students.

She says cell phones are making matters worse. She says phones should be banned in schools and porn is regularly being accessed by students. She fears about how that’s shaping the minds of students and their attitudes. “There’s no blocks on them” says the parent, “they can see whatever they want to and then whether your child has a cell phone or not, their friend is sharing it. My child is being exposed daily to sexual violence – in grade six, in class.”