Meeting of the Parliament 24 May 2023
I agree with my Labour colleague that the issue is a matter of urgency.
The summit should be inclusive. It should include young people, but let us please ensure that there is representation from beyond the usual bodies and voices. There should be an action plan. Teachers and pupils should start the new term, which is less than 100 days away, with the clarity of guidance that they need. Headteachers should feel confident that they and their staff have been heard and that political leaders have responded. The cabinet secretary should return to Parliament immediately following the summit and report the urgent actions that have been agreed. Members must be kept abreast of the outcomes of the summit.
Hearing from our teachers will be key. I want to quote Catherine Nicol, the president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association. She said that many teachers feel that providing education in our schools is
“now subordinate to managing disruption”.
She went on to say:
“At worst mob rule prevails in classrooms and corridors ... The number of violent incidents reported is increasing. A culture of accommodating the needs of the transgressor has become the default position in some places. Learners that do come to school to learn do not feel secure”.
Therefore, I cautiously celebrate the cabinet secretary’s announcement this week of a summit on school violence and disruption. However, we have demands to make of the cabinet secretary with regard to that summit.
First, the summit must meet within days. Secondly, before the summer recess, a statement must be made in Parliament on the outcomes of the summit. Thirdly, an action plan to tackle violence and disruption in schools must be ready before the start of the new school year. Fourthly, that action plan must include a new standard reporting system for cases of violence and disruption in all 32 local authorities; a plan to address the increasing issues with attendance; new guidance for teachers, staff and school leaders; and reform of the exclusions procedure to ensure that pupils who are excluded receive the support that they need.
My fifth point is that a funding package must be put in place for meaningful intervention to help every pupil who is a victim or a perpetrator of violence in school. Sixthly, a national helpline should be established to support teachers and staff who are afraid to report violence and disruption in their classroom or school. The cabinet secretary knows that such teachers exist in large numbers.