The nation’s largest teachers unions yesterday opposed a New Democrat bill to outlaw corporal punishment of unruly children. Heidi Yetman, a mother of two sons and president of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation, said the bill would “put teachers at risk of being charged with assault.”

“This is our fear,” Yetman told the Commons justice committee. “The risk of unintended consequences that could make classrooms more unsafe is too great,” she added.

“Teachers need to be able to physically intervene in certain classroom situations,” said Yetman. “This is the reality.”