Highland school violence rockets 500% in five years sparking bid to protect staff but council officials worry about pupils ‘marginalised as a result of their behaviour’
A bid to get Highland Council to recognise and put in place measures to tackle the “serious problem” of teachers facing violent and abusive behaviour in schools – after reports rocket 500 per cent in five years.
But officials are concerned about “those pupils marginalised as a result of their behaviour (which may be symptomatic of other issues beyond their control) the impact will be negative.”
Behaviour in the region’s schools has declined sharply since the pandemic and now Councillors Michael Gregson and Richard Gale want more done to help staff.
In 2023, we revealed that a tide of violence sparked emergency talks, the next year the GMB estimated that staff faced eight violent incidents a day.
Then earlier this year council data found “violent incidents” in schools rose 150 per cent last session but the council did not centrally record teachers or pupils assaults.
And earlier this month, a Channel 4 investigation found that new data suggests Scotland has the most violent classrooms in the UK.
Now Councillors Gregson and Gale have tabled a motion to be debated at the full council meeting on Thursday wanting “to strengthen protections for school staff against violent and abusive behaviour in schools; and to ensure that they are properly supported and enabled to get on with their jobs.”
To do that they want the local authority to recognise that “there is a serious problem of violent and abusive behaviour in schools. This has grown in recent years.”
That there “were 3170 incidents of classroom violence in Highland schools in 2024” resulting in staff making an “average of 16.7 reports a day – an increase of more than 500 per cent in four years.”
Incidents included “physical and verbal abuse, particularly physical aggression, general verbal abuse and physical violence.”
The motion asks the council to commit to the following measures:
• A ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy for violence against staff at school.
• Support staff by producing Risk Assessments for persistently disruptive pupils. In some circumstances, it may be acceptable for a member of staff to refuse to teach a pupil, if she or he felt that their personal safety was at risk.
• Clear and well-understood procedures for recording and reporting incidents.
• Ensure adequate staff training in dealing with challenging behaviour and violent incidents.
• Ensure adequate support for staff who are victims of violent incidents.
But it may run into difficulties in getting passed at a vote because of concerns of education officials explained in an integrated impact assessment attached to the motion.
It states under headings of – poverty, human rights, and children’s rights that: “Measures which seek to protect teachers, other school staff and pupils from violent and abusive behaviour will promote a safer environment which is more conducive to learning leading to better outcomes for pupils.
“However, for those pupils marginalised as a result of their behaviour (which may be symptomatic of other issues beyond their control), the impact will be negative, and a poorer educational outcome may result in poorer lifelong socioeconomic outcomes for those individuals.”
The full council meets on Thursday.