When did Ontario schools become so violent?

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By every measure, violence is skyrocketing inside Ontario schools.

According to a survey released earlier this year by the Ontario School Board Council of Unions (OSBCU), nearly 75 per cent of education workers experience violent or disruptive incidents in their work area, with more than a third facing these incidents daily.

Among educational assistants and child and youth workers, the numbers are even more alarming: 95.8 per cent — nearly every single one — say they experience violence at work.

Data recently released to Global News under freedom of information legislation was equally shocking: the level of violence reported by school boards to the Ministry of Education has risen by 77 per cent since Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives took office, with more than 4,400 incidents reported in the 2023-24 year alone.

This exclusive story from Sudbury.com, published just a few hours ago, is even more evidence of the crisis facing school boards across the province.

On tonight’s episode of Closer Look, we speak to two experts who understand the problem as well as anyone: Joe Tigani, the president OSBCU, and Darby Mallory, co-author of a University of Ottawa report titled ‘Running on Fumes: Violence, Austerity, and Institutional Neglect in Ontario Schools.’

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

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