Around 100 Tasmanian teachers are unable to return to work due to physical injuries sustained in classrooms, new data from the Department for Education, Children and Young People shows.
The Australian Education Union (AEU) says the department’s latest annual report reveals teachers’ workers’ compensation claims jumped 26% between 2023 and 2025 – rising from 198 to 249 cases.
Psychological injury claims increased 60% over the same period, from 47 to 75 cases.
Department-wide figures show just 30% of staff who lodged compensation claims for physical injuries returned to work within the same year.
AEU Tasmania president David Genford said the data reflected long-held concerns raised by teachers.
“This data is appalling but totally unsurprising to teachers who have been sounding the alarm on rising violence for years,” he said.
“No wonder we’re witnessing unprecedented levels of teacher burnout with these levels of violence and a government unwilling to fix the problem.”
Genford said the situation was concerning given the state’s existing teacher shortages.
“When Tasmania is already losing teachers faster than it can hire them, this mismanagement is alarming,” he said.
Education Minister Jo Palmer told parliament on Wednesday the government was “absolutely committed” to supporting teachers through wellbeing programs and early-career initiatives.
She said much of the classroom violence stemmed from student trauma.
“We know that when children walk through the front gates of a school, they don’t leave behind the issues that they face every day,” she said.
“We know whatever has happened in their home the night before, the morning of, on the way to school – all of those issues come with them into a classroom and we know that we have children who react.”
“We know that for a number of the incidents, probably the majority of incidents where we do see violence, we know that it comes from a place of trauma and little people and older kids just trying to navigate life.”
Palmer also expressed disappointment that a parliamentary committee examining bullying and discrimination in schools was interrupted by the recent election.
The AEU says unsafe workloads, high stress and escalating behavioural issues in classrooms are driving the rise in compensation claims.
The union has called for stronger action to improve workplace safety across Tasmania’s schools.
