Scotland’s largest teaching union has criticised the country’s education secretary for failing to read its damning report on violence in Aberdeen schools.
In the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) report released last week, a third of the 800 teachers surveyed in Aberdeen said they had been physically assaulted.
Speaking to BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth admitted she had not “looked at the specifics” of the report.
The former modern studies teacher explained the report would be for Aberdeen City Council to respond to, although she did “accept the challenge on this matter”.
In response to Ms Gilruth’s interview, an EIS spokesperson said: “Given the significant concerns that have been raised by teachers and other school staff about rising levels of violence and aggression towards them in our schools, and the huge media and political attention that there has been around the issue, it is very difficult to understand why the cabinet secretary would not have read the Aberdeen report or at least have been briefed on it.
“Teachers in schools in Scotland’s third biggest city are likely to feel very let down by this and teachers across Scotland are very worried that the Scottish government does not have its eye on the ball firmly enough when it comes to the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and pupils in our schools.”
In the interview, Ms Gilruth admitted violence in schools was a “really tricky challenge” and not an issue she could “solve overnight”.
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She also said it would not be “wise” to predicate the national approach to behaviour management in Scotland based on one local survey.
However, the EIS and the Scottish government published research at the end of last year that showed an increase in poor behaviour in schools since 2016.
National action plan
Ms Gilruth insisted Holyrood was working with local authorities to produce a national action plan to tackle the issue.
On Monday, First Minister Humza Yousaf also said he had not read the report but claimed Ms Gilruth and the Scottish government are “very sincere” about tackling the problem.
Mr Yousaf said his government would continue to “engage with the EIS”.
Calls for urgent action
The union said “urgent action” is needed and has called on Holyrood for additional resources to help recruit more teaching and support staff, including specialists in additional support needs.
EIS is also calling for the recruitment of more professionals outside of schools, including educational psychologists and speech and language therapists.
The EIS spokesperson added: “On publication of our national survey at the end of November, we sought a meeting with the cabinet secretary to discuss these matters and await a reply to the request.”
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Aberdeen City Council said co-leaders Christian Allard and Ian Yuill held “constructive” talks with Ms Gilruth on Friday and are scheduled to meet unions in response to the EIS survey.
The local authority said the “vast majority” of its children and young people “continue to behave well”, but there have been some challenges due to pressures faced over the last few years.
The council highlighted the COVID pandemic, which “also increased pressure” on its staff.
A council spokesperson said: “The rise in reported incidents over the last four years is due to a more robust reporting system. The EIS survey highlights that our staff have a better understanding of how to report incidents than their colleagues in other local authorities.
“There has been no rise in the level of incidents reported in Aberdeen schools over the last two years and no evidence to suggest that teaching staff are leaving as a result of violence or aggression.
“Given the impression created in some media outlets that Aberdeen is unique or an outlier in terms of pupils’ behaviours we are taking the step of writing to parents to reassure them that this is not the case.”
The Scottish government was contacted for comment.
