Meeting of the Parliament 24 March 2026 [Draft]
I thank Daniel Johnson for his work to introduce the bill. As the MSP for East Lothian, I am proud to support the bill on behalf of the children and young people of the county.
As Daniel Johnson said, the passing of the Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill—which is often called Calum’s law—is a landmark moment. The bill puts clear, enforceable protections in place so that restraint and seclusion are used only as a genuine last resort and never as a first response. I commend Beth Morrison and Kate Sanger for their work in getting us to this position.
We all know the current reality for too many children, especially those with additional support needs. More than a third of pupils have been subjected to practices that are inconsistent, poorly recorded and sometimes downright harmful. The 2018 investigation by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland laid bare the gaps: there were no national standards, there was patchy monitoring and parents were left in the dark. The voluntary guidance had not been good enough.
That ends today. The bill changes that by placing the Scottish Government’s guidance on a statutory footing. It requires every school—public or independent—to train staff properly in de-escalation techniques and positive behaviour support. It demands that parents are informed immediately when restraint or seclusion is used, and it insists on proper recording and reporting, so that we can spot patterns, learn lessons and drive down the use of such measures for good.
The bill is not about tying teachers’ hands; it is about empowering them. It is about giving every educator the tools and the confidence to support children without resorting to physical intervention or isolation. It is about creating the trauma-informed, rights-respecting schools that Scotland’s young people deserve. As legislation, it sits squarely within the Scottish Government’s values. I thank the cabinet secretary, Jenny Gilruth, for her collaborative work with Daniel Johnson and the Education, Children and Young People Committee in considering the bill.
The Government incorporated the UNCRC into Scots law. As a Parliament, we made the Promise to Scotland’s care-experienced children just last week. As a Parliament, we believe that every child, regardless of their needs, should thrive in an inclusive education system. The bill delivers on those commitments. It turns warm words into legal duties. It puts children’s rights at the heart of our schools.
Once again, I thank and pay tribute to Daniel Johnson for introducing the bill and for the thoughtful way in which he has worked across the Parliament. I also thank fellow members of the Education, Children and Young People Committee for their rigorous scrutiny. Above all, I thank the families, the campaigners and the children themselves, who have shared what have often been painful experiences. Their courage has made the bill possible. They are an inspiration to all of us in this place.
Today, Scotland has a chance to say loud and clear that we do not restrain our children unless there is no other way, and that we do not isolate them from their peers without proper safeguards. Instead, we choose dignity, support and inclusion. I urge every colleague to join me in voting to pass the bill. Let us send a message that, in Scotland, our children’s rights are not optional—they are the law. The bill is for every child who has ever felt powerless in a school corridor, for every parent who has waited anxiously for a phone call that never came, and for the future of an inclusive, compassionate Scotland.