Compensation

The MOD will publish the latest figures for claims and payments because of injury, illness or death while serving in the military later today.

Thousands of teachers are considering strike action in a row over pay and pensions.

It comes as new figures show a dramatic rise in compensation paid to teachers - after cases of assault and abuse.

Daybreak's Tiffany Royce reports.

The teacher compensation figures have been published as the NUT and NASUWT teaching unions meet for their annual conferences with further industrial action over pensions likely to be high on the agenda.

Concerns by the unions, which both took part in industrial action last year, will be raised at proposed government changes to pay and pensions along with fears over working conditions.

The NASUWT's largest out-of-court personal injury settlement was for a teacher in the North West who slipped on mud, which was the result of building work, during a fire drill, and hurt her back. The woman was awarded £158,000.

Another teacher at a primary school for children with special needs was awarded £74,689 after an aggressive parent threatened her while she was alone in a classroom. She had a psychiatric breakdown, ending her 32-year teaching career.

The NASUWT teaching union alone secured £12.6 million in compensation last year, almost a 20% increase on the 2010 figure of £10.5 million.

This is for claims including personal and criminal injury, unfair dismissal and employment cases.

Teachers won millions of pounds in compensation last year after accidents, injuries, assaults and discrimination at school, according to new figures.

Chris Keates from the teaching union NASUWT said a "zero tolerance approach is needed for violence and disruption in the classroom".

Teachers won millions of pounds in compensation last year after accidents, injuries, assaults and discrimination at school, new figures show.

In one case, a teacher was awarded more than £222,000 after suffering a brain injury when a pupil hit her in the head with a bus door.

Another was handed almost £175,000 after being punched in the head by the parent of a pupil.

Others were given settlements of thousands of pounds after tripping or slipping at school, the figures show.