Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 09 September 2025
09 Sep 2025 · S6 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Relationships and Behaviour in Schools
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. Before the schools returned, I spoke to several teachers who told me that, for the first time in their careers, they did not want to go back to school, due to the levels of poor discipline and violence that they have personally experienced in their schools. Today’s statement is very much a repeat of what the Scottish Government has already outlined. Unbelievably, it concerns a national action plan that includes no new actions—just more talking and a marketing campaign.
I will outline my concerns to the cabinet secretary. I believe that the Government has failed to take forward real changes. There are no clear outcomes or consequences in the guidance on how teachers can respond to any violence that they might experience. Teachers who are punched or who have chairs thrown at them do not need to be told to undertake a risk assessment. The Scottish Government’s incoherent guidance and reluctance to even mention effective consequences, let alone apply them, is letting down hard-working school staff and the majority of pupils who simply want to learn without disruption. Is the cabinet secretary asking pupils, teachers, parents and carers to wait another two years before the Government will outline how it will get a grip of violence in our schools?
In the same item of business
The Presiding Officer (Alison Johnstone)
NPA
The next item of business is a statement by Jenny Gilruth on actions to support improved relationships and behaviour in schools. The cabinet secretary will t...
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills (Jenny Gilruth)
SNP
In May, I updated Parliament on progress to deliver the national action plan on behaviour and relationships in schools, which was published last August. At t...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
The cabinet secretary will now take questions on the issues that were raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for that, after which we w...
Miles Briggs (Lothian) (Con)
Con
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. Before the schools returned, I spoke to several teachers who told me that, for the first ti...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
This year, there have been a number of new developments in relation to the national action plan, which I have set out to the Parliament today. The Opposition...
Pam Duncan-Glancy (Glasgow) (Lab)
Lab
I thank the cabinet secretary for advance sight of her statement. Scottish Labour welcomes the publication of guidance on consequences and risk assessments; ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I thank Ms Duncan-Glancy for welcoming the guidance. However, I put on the record that I think that that was an unfair characterisation of the Government’s a...
The Presiding Officer
NPA
There is a great deal of interest in the statement, so concise questions and responses would be appreciated.
Jackie Dunbar (Aberdeen Donside) (SNP)
SNP
The importance of the contribution of pupils feeling supported towards improving their behaviour in schools cannot be overestimated. Will the minister speak ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
As I alluded to in my statement, the budget makes provision for an extra £29 million in relation to additional support needs. I was very keen that that addit...
Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
The statement mentions that “Consequences are an essential part of a supportive learning environment.” The cabinet secretary knows that I agree with that. ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
We have discussed expectations around exclusion at length in the chamber. In recent years—I can give the member the statistics on this if she wants, though I...
Kevin Stewart (Aberdeen Central) (SNP)
SNP
I am sure that, like me, many members will have had mailbags full of various commentary about the challenges, disruption and bad behaviour that are caused by...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I put on the record that I am very sorry to learn that Mr Stewart will be standing down at the end of the parliamentary session. He will be sorely missed by ...
Martin Whitfield (South Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
In her statement, the cabinet secretary talked about working with local councils to improve consistency in recording and monitoring incidents. In 2023, she s...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
In Scotland, we have 32 local authorities with a statutory responsibility for delivering education. One of the challenges that we have often seen with record...
Christine Grahame (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale) (SNP)
SNP
I want to focus on the further £29 million for children with additional support needs, which—as the cabinet secretary knows—applies to an extensive range of ...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I discussed that issue last week with members of the Opposition, with regard to the review that I mentioned in my response to Ms Duncan-Glancy. It is now mor...
Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green)
Green
The principle of consent is an essential part of effective sex and relationships education and can help to tackle issues of behaviour and violence at their r...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
It is hugely important that young people are taught about these issues in school. The member will be aware that we are reviewing the relationships, sexual he...
Willie Rennie (North East Fife) (LD)
LD
The guidance on behaviour is incredibly long, and the section on consequences is stuck at the back, in an appendix, so I am sceptical about what impact it wi...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I appreciate that the guidance is long and there are appendices—I think that that is welcome, and my hope is that the consequences element is not lost. There...
Fulton MacGregor (Coatbridge and Chryston) (SNP)
SNP
Over recent years, my office and I have received an increased number of queries relating to bullying in schools. Indeed, just yesterday at one of my surgerie...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I thank Mr MacGregor for his question and I am sorry to hear the examples that he has cited. Again, I put on the record that bullying of any kind is unaccept...
Douglas Ross (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
The cabinet secretary mentioned the statement that she gave in the chamber in May about the issue. During that exchange, I asked her about supply teachers in...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
I gently say to Mr Ross that his final statement in relation to there having been no correspondence since last November is not accurate. There has been consi...
Rona Mackay (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
Violence against women and girls has no place in Scotland’s society, and the opportunity to establish that precedent in the classroom is an important step in...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
The Government is absolutely clear that harassment or abuse in any form—whether that is in the workplace, in schools or in the home—is completely reprehensib...
Sharon Dowey (South Scotland) (Con)
Con
I attended the Government’s youth violence summit, where young people told the cabinet secretary that actions must have consequences. The latest Scottish Gov...
Jenny Gilruth
SNP
It is difficult to comment on individual circumstances. In relation to the point that the member raised, my expectation is that pupils would be excluded. The...