The Government must urgently do more to tackle youth violence, which has become a “public health issue”, according to Patrick Roach, General Secretary of the NASUWT teaching union.
Speaking at the union’s annual conference in Liverpool, Mr Roach called for a comprehensive, national plan to address what he described as a “national emergency” blighting schools and wider communities. He urged ministers to go beyond piecemeal measures, such as restricting pupils’ access to mobile phones, and implement a far-reaching response to stem rising violence among young people.
“Restricting pupils’ access to mobile phones would be a start, but we need much more than that,” Mr Roach said in his final keynote address as general secretary. “Youth violence is now a public health issue of our times and we need a national response to it.”
He warned that schools are increasingly on the frontline of a crisis, with mobile phones being used not only to disrupt lessons but also to harass, abuse, and incite violence among pupils. Teachers, he noted, have likened phones to “lethal weapons” in the classroom.
Mr Roach pointed to the violent disturbances that erupted last summer following the tragic murder of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. He suggested the violence was fuelled by extremist rhetoric spread via social media platforms. “Those events won’t be the last unless protective measures are taken,” he said.
Delegates at the conference passed a motion warning that the impact of last year’s unrest continues to affect school and college communities, placing pupils’ safety and the security of staff at risk. Mr Roach called for robust action against social media companies and individuals who incite hatred and division online.
He also emphasised the need for greater support for parents to help them keep their children safe, adding: “We need Government to step up its response too.”
In a wide-ranging address, Mr Roach also tackled the ongoing issue of teachers’ pay. He called on ministers to offer a fully funded, real-terms pay rise this autumn, warning that anything less would be unacceptable to the profession.
“That’s how ministers can provide the hope the profession is looking for,” he said, urging the Government to show ambition in backing the teaching workforce.
The Department for Education has previously suggested a 2.8% pay rise for 2025/26, which it claims is appropriate given the current financial constraints. However, the NASUWT and other unions argue this falls well short of what is needed to properly reward and retain teaching staff.
Mr Roach said: “Any suggestion that teachers can be offered a real terms pay cut, or that the pay award will not be fully funded, or that any school or college will have to make further cuts to provision for pupils in order to pay teachers – any such suggestion, the Government should expect will be met with the response from our members that it deserves.”
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Earlier this week, the National Education Union (NEU) voted to initiate a formal strike ballot if the Government fails to deliver acceptable outcomes in the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) process or real-terms increases in the forthcoming spending review.
Turning to wider social issues, Mr Roach condemned the Government’s two-child benefit cap, describing it as a “nasty, spiteful, vindictive and discriminatory policy”. He warned that unless it is scrapped, “the lives and futures of hundreds of thousands more children will be damaged unnecessarily”.
As his term comes to an end, the NASUWT’s national executive has endorsed Matt Wrack, former General Secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, as Mr Roach’s successor. However, the race is not yet closed, with potential challengers still able to submit nominations until Saturday.
Reflecting on his time in office, Mr Roach said: “As I step down as your general secretary, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you… the first black general secretary in our union’s proud 100-year history. I pay tribute to all those who have stood here before me and on whose shoulders we all rise.”
