£180k Paid Out To Teachers

Teachers and lecturers have been paid more than £180,000 in compensation for injuries suffered at work in the past year.

The figures have been released by Scotland's largest teaching union. the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) and include £50,000 for a teacher who suffered a severe head injury after slipping in an icy school playground.

Another teacher was awarded £30,000 for a shoulder injury which came from lifting and handling pupils with complex learning difficulties. 

Larry Flanagan, the General Secretary of the union said the amount paid out is down compared to the previous year’s figures: "This is a positive development, as it highlights that there have been fewer very serious injuries to teachers and lecturers at work over the past year.

"The main goal must always be to avoid accidents and prevent injuries to education staff.  However, whenever an EIS member is injured in the course of their work, we will continue to do all that we can to achieve a fair settlement on their behalf."

While some staff members were compensated after being assaulted by pupils, the EIS found the most frequent cause of injury to teachers and lecturers continues to be accidents involving falls caused by slips and trips.

Mr Flanagan said many of these were "completely avoidablt", and he urged bosses to take more precautions: "Compensation payments are made because by some employers continue to fail to protect their staff from avoidable workplace injuries.  These can often be avoided by effective risk assessment and correct adherence to simple health and safety procedures.”