Student violence against Dutch teachers surges, suspensions up nearly 30 percent

The number of student suspensions due to physical violence against teachers in Dutch secondary schools rose nearly 30 percent last year, according to data from the Dutch Education Inspectorate reviewed by RTL. Suspensions related to threats of violence increased by 23 percent during the 2023–2024 school year, highlighting a sharp rise in aggression toward educators.

In total, 236 students were suspended or expelled for violent acts against teachers, a 28 percent increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, suspensions for threats of violence occurred 406 times, up 23 percent.

Extreme incidents illustrate the growing problem. Teachers have faced attacks ranging from bricks thrown through their home windows to iron rods hurled inside classrooms, as well as threats involving knives.

One case involved Geert Datema, a veteran practical teacher at Vechtdal College in Hardenberg. After confronting a student who spilled cereal on the floor, Datema was met with repeated death threats and racist insults. The student threatened to kill him and used a highly offensive racial slur. Despite Datema urging the school to report the threats to police, school leaders initially hesitated, concerned about the student receiving a criminal record. When Datema threatened to stop coming to work, the administration ultimately filed a police report and transferred the student to another school without pressing charges.

Danielle Woestenberg, chairwoman of the CNV teachers’ union, described such incidents as common. “It is shocking. We see all kinds of intimidation and death threats,” she told RTL, calling Datema’s experience “typical.” She said teachers who set boundaries often face rejection and aggression. A union survey of 254 teachers found more than 40 percent had experienced verbal or physical aggression, and more than a quarter knew colleagues who changed schools because of violence.

The rise in violence has led some teachers to consider leaving the profession altogether. “Some teachers leave permanently, others move to schools with less violence. They leave schools where working with student behavior is most difficult—the very places where the best teachers are needed,” Woestenberg told RTL.

Practical schools in economically disadvantaged areas often face the worst behavior. At Leerpark in Arnhem’s Presikhaaf neighborhood, department head Maarten Koopman said the school “gets everything from the neighborhood.” “Street culture influences the school culture, including drugs, crime, and aggression,” he told RTL.

Teacher Sebastian Altena said violence is routine. “I’ve seen everything: students attacking, throwing pens, pulling knives. Swearing using disease-related insults is common,” he told RTL.

Until three years ago, Leerpark enforced a strict policy: students who hit teachers were expelled. “If you hit a teacher, you had to leave,” Koopman told RTL. But since joining the Arnhem city program “Safe In and Around School,” the school now prioritizes keeping students in class. Cooperation with street coaches, police, and youth workers aims to prevent violent behavior early. The school rarely suspends students now, instead using class transfers or behavior assignments. Koopman explained, “If you suspend a student, you lose them to the streets.”

This new approach requires teachers to remain constantly alert. Altena told RTL, “You have to be sharp all the time. When the bell rings, you must be on.” He has received serious threats, including “I know where you live” and “I know who your children are.” Still, Altena stressed, “Aggression is often a cry for help. When a 14-year-old acts out like this, something is going on beneath the surface.”

Demissionary State Secretary for Education Mariëlle Paul said the increase in school violence reflects a broader coarsening of society. “That coarsening unfortunately seeps into our schools,” she said. Paul also pointed to parents’ responsibility to address children’s poor behavior.

Paul has proposed a law requiring schools to register every incident of violence to improve monitoring and response. However, education organizations like the VO-raad and the Council of State oppose the proposal, fearing it will increase administrative burdens without reducing violence.

Paul also supports appointing confidential advisors at schools to support teachers facing aggression. Altena emphasized the importance of colleague support, saying, “At Leerpark, after incidents, we immediately check in with each other. ‘What do you need? Can you still teach, or should I take over?’ You only survive if you care for each other.”