Scottish Labour calling for urgent statement on school violence

The number of incidents reached a five year high

Nearly 14,000 incidents were reported across Scotland in the last year
Author: Kieran BrandPublished 21st May 2023

Scottish Labour is calling on the Education Secretary to get a grip on school violence.

Jenny Gilruth said in Holyrood this week that a Behaviour in Scottish Schools report will not be ready until the "end of this year", despite figures obtained through freedom of information revealing the prevalence of violence in primary and secondary settings.

Nearly 14,000 incidents were reported across Scottish schools in the last year, including 10,852 in primary and 2,951 in secondary in 2021/22 - the highest figures in five years.

The current school year, 2022/23, saw 9,784 primary school violence reports, and 2,542 in secondaries.

Labour's education spokeswoman, Pam Duncan-Glancy, has said school staff and pupils cannot afford to be "let down" further by ministers or wait several months for a report into the issue.

She said: "It is simply unacceptable that teachers in Scotland are going to work worried about their safety or that parents worry about the safety of their children in school.

"This situation didn't start overnight. For years, teaching unions have been raising the alarm and this government and successive SNP education ministers have failed to act.

"That the planned report on this is not expected until December shows a lack of urgency from the Government on this serious issue.

"Jenny Gilruth must act fast and deliver an urgent statement to parliament outlining what she will do to keep teachers and pupils safe.”

It comes as teaching unions, including the Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS) and the NASUWT, are calling for the safety of teachers to be in improved.

Education Secretary Gilruth said: "Any form of violence in our schools is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I addressed this specific issue in Parliament this week during topical questions on Tuesday.

"As a former teacher, I fully understand the pressures faced by my ex-colleagues and vital work they do every day in our classrooms. I also attended both the SSTA and NASUWT conferences last week and discussed some of the current challenges in our classrooms with members.

"It is clear that Covid has changed the culture in our schools - in part that relates to behaviour, but we need to look more broadly at things like attendance, particularly in those year groups who faced transition periods, for example primary to secondary, during lockdown.

"I am determined to ensure that teachers and all school staff are better supported to deal with behaviour in our schools, including reporting of incidents.

"We will continue to engage with trade unions and later this year we will publish updated material showing the national picture in relation to this issue.”

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