A national plan designed to tackle violence and abuse in Scotland’s schools is having little impact, according to most teachers in a survey.
They also report that the number of students being physically abusive and violent in schools has increased in the past 12 months.
In the survey on behaviour in schools by the NASUWT teaching union, 83 per cent of the 476 teachers who took part said the number of students exhibiting physically violent and abusive behaviours had increased in that period.
Violence in primary schools
This is despite the launch of a in August 2024 by the Scottish government, in response to rises in violence and abuse in Scottish schools.
Eight in 10 respondents to the NASUWT survey said they had been threatened with assault with a weapon by a student in the previous 12 months; 37 per cent had been assaulted with a weapon, including knives, scissors, hockey sticks and chairs. Some 32 per cent said the pupils involved were aged between 4 and 7.
Meanwhile, 44 per cent reported experiencing violence or physical abuse from students in the previous 12 months. Members reported being spat at, bitten, headbutted, punched and kicked.
One teacher reported having fireworks thrown in their direction, another had their car vandalised and another was subjected to false and malicious online abuse from students alleging that he was a paedophile.
Nine in 10 teachers reported receiving verbal abuse, including being sworn at; threatened with serious violence, including threats of being shot; and targeted with racial or sexist insults. Some 90 per cent said that the number of students verbally abusing staff members had increased in the past 12 months.
Under the national plan all schools are supposed to have an agreed behaviour management policy in place that is consistently followed and communicated to all staff and students. However, one in five teachers surveyed could not confirm whether their school had a policy in place.
The NASUWT said it has become concerned in recent years about an over-reliance in many schools on restorative approaches that focus on the use of structured conversations between staff and pupils to address poor behaviour.
The use of restorative behaviour management programmes in schools was the biggest single factor cited by respondents (69 per cent) as driving a deterioration in pupil behaviour in their school.
Teacher and pupil safety ‘should not be left to chance’
Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: “The safety and security of teachers and pupils should not be left to chance, yet it is clear from the survey findings that teachers are being left without the back-up and effective deterrents needed to address poor pupil behaviour and to stop low-level disruption spiralling into more serious incidents of abuse.”
Dr Roach added: “In many instances members report they are themselves blamed for the poor behaviour of their pupils.
“No teacher should experience being hospitalised, have to take time off sick or feel forced to quit their job because of the level of abuse they have suffered.”
Mike Corbett, NASUWT national official for Scotland, said: “We need behaviour-management policies that have been agreed by staff and unions in place in every school, with action to ensure their principles are being consistently followed.
“These policies should make it clear that there will be zero tolerance and effective sanctions in place for pupils who abuse staff.”
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable. We all want our schools to be safe and consistent learning environments for teachers, wider staff and pupils alike.
“The national behaviour action plan was implemented as a response to growing concerns from teaching trade unions and parents regarding behaviour in our schools post-pandemic. The plan is owned jointly between Scottish government and local authorities - in Scotland it is our councils who carry the statutory responsibility to deliver education.”
The spokesperson added: “However, the education secretary is concerned by the findings of this survey. The government will provide the first progress update on the behaviour action plan in the coming weeks.”
Cosla, the local authorities’ umbrella organsiation, has been contacted for comment.
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