This week, Scottish Conservative pressure forced the SNP Government to finally do something about the troubling increase in acts of violence within Scotland’s schools.
For too long, the SNP has not taken this issue seriously enough. Over a year ago, I asked the former Education Cabinet Secretary about the steps the SNP would take to address the abuse faced by teachers. She dodged responsibility.
Regrettably, the situation has only worsened since then. Nearly 75,000 verbal and physical attacks on teachers and staff have occurred since 2017. In just the past year, roughly 200 dangerous weapons were confiscated from students.
I recently visited the home of a constituent and heard first-hand how a little girl had been tragically failed by the very system designed to protect her.
First, she was the victim of an incident involving a dangerous weapon in a supervised play area which went unnoticed. Then, her father discovered the bullying incidents she reported were not even recorded on the proper system. This young girl was unable to attend a single class at school for 18 months because of what she went through.
Another parent in my region, whose child was bullied daily, asked the school to intervene. But the bullying only got worse. The pupil was given a hall pass to be excused from classes early to avoid a kicking. What message does that send? It only emboldens bullies and encourages victims to hide. Eventually, this pupil had to move school, and he is now two years behind pupils of a similar age.
Unfortunately, these are not just one-off or occasional incidents. This is a widespread problem. A report by the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights revealed that 61% of Scottish schools fail to use the bullying and equalities recording system. Educators who wish to address these issues are often discouraged from doing so out of fear for the potentially devastating consequences for their careers, so many incidents go unreported.
The government has been slow to recognise the scale of these serious issues - but they must act now. For the sake of pupils, parents and teachers, they cannot delay any longer.
We need an immediate violence reduction plan that empowers teachers and schools.
The SNP must also fully support my party’s proposals for a national framework to accurately report violence and disruption in schools because the current system is flawed and fosters complacency.
Finally, there must be a review to produce clear guidance on exclusion laws and policies. As it stands, there are grey areas and confusing policies which leave teachers feeling powerless.
These changes must happen urgently because 16 years of SNP neglect has left children vulnerable and teachers suffering as targets of violence.
The Scottish Conservatives have already forced the government to take this issue more seriously and we will continue to campaign hard to stop violence from overwhelming schools and causing suffering for teachers, pupils and parents.
