Educational ombudswoman Nadia Leshchyk has initiated amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Education" to introduce a legal mechanism to protect teachers from violence and bullying. This was reported by UNN with reference to a message on Leshchyk's Telegram channel.
As I recently emphasized, within the framework of legislative changes, the Ministry of Social Policy has developed a number of regulatory documents to protect children from violence and abuse. But the problem is that due to inconsistencies in the legislation, teachers may be left without proper mechanisms to protect against bullying
Leshchyk noted that the issue of protecting teachers needs to be regulated at the government level.
Therefore, I proposed to consider and advocate further the issue of amending the Law of Ukraine "On Education" regarding the development of a Model Regulation on the Protection of the Rights of Pedagogical Workers, which may be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
She also explained that the document should contain specific instructions in case of violation of discipline by students.
The document proposes to provide, in particular, clear algorithms of actions in case of violation of the rules of conduct by students (this may also manifest itself in the form of unacceptable behavior towards the teacher)
Additionally
The educational ombudswoman stressed that the problem of violence in schools is gaining momentum.
During the 2024–2025 academic year, I observe frequent cases of violence and abuse in educational institutions between different participants in the educational process: both against children and against teachers
Leshchyk also cited examples of international studies that confirm the global trend.
Global trends also indicate an increase in violence in educational institutions, including bullying of teachers. This is confirmed by survey data and research from various countries. Germany, 2025 survey: 60% of school principals surveyed reported that physical and psychological violence in their schools has increased in the last five years. Two-thirds of school principals reported cases of verbal abuse, threats, insults, or bullying of teachers. France, Senate Investigative Mission study in 2024: teachers feel increasingly afraid while performing their professional duties. 58,500 teachers reported being threatened, 17,200 reported being intentionally pushed or subjected to violence, and 900 reported being threatened with weapons. Finland, 2019 study: one in ten teachers has experienced violence at work
According to Leshchyk, the problem of teacher protection is relevant in different countries and their experience is different.
Some countries are already tightening legislation and developing recommendations for the protection of teachers in the performance of their professional duties (for example, France), or are considering strengthening measures to protect teachers, because they believe that such measures are not enough (Germany), and some countries have long had such policies, such as the United States. Also, educational institutions develop internal policies to protect teachers and resolve conflicts between participants in the educational process
Reference
The educational ombudsman is an official who ensures compliance with the rights and legitimate interests of participants in the educational process in Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers supported the appointment of Nadia Leshchyk as the educational ombudsman of Ukraine on November 1, 2024.