Exclusive:School violence Scotland: Summit could be held in 'autumn' and will involve several high level meetings

The Scottish Government has confirmed a ‘multi-stage’ approach is planned with the school violence summit

Several high level meetings are being planned from September as part of a summit aimed at tackling soaring levels of violence in schools.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth announced in May she would convene a summit in the “coming weeks” to address growing concerns about disruptive behaviour in classrooms.

The Government has now confirmed that a “multi-stage” approach is being planned to ensure the issues can be “considered in detail”.

Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf arrives with Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth ahead of delivering his Ministerial Statement: NHS Winter Pressures in the main chamber at the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh. Picture date: Tuesday January 10, 2023.

A spokesman said the summit could not be held until a long-awaited study on school behaviour had been published in the “autumn”.

It is understood the meetings will get under way in September.

However, Conservative education spokesman Liam Kerr said it “simply isn’t good enough” that the summit had been “kicked into the long grass once again”.

Details of the plans have emerged a few days after The Scotsman revealed how education chiefs in parts of Scotland had privately confirmed a “sharp” rise in attacks on school staff, with officials saying “almost all” the increases were linked to pupils with additional support needs (ASN).

Emails released to The Scotsman show local education directors have been privately discussing “exclusion guidance”, how to “define violence”, “consistency in reporting”, a “high correlation” with ASN, the fact “primary is worse than secondary”, whether violence is on the rise in communities, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meetings expected to hear from young people, parents and carers, schools, local authorities, unions, and campaigners to try to identify ways to tackle the problem.

Asked about plans, a Scottish Government spokesman said: “The education secretary has taken a lead role on behaviour and relationships in our schools since her appointment, recognising that behaviour and relationships in our schools have changed since the pandemic.

"Wider impacts, such as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, are also playing a part as has been identified through the National Conversation on Scottish Education.

“Children and young people must have every opportunity for successful learning that is unhindered by disruptive behaviour. It is also important that teachers and school staff are able to work in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment.

"That is why the education secretary has announced a behaviour summit, which will involve a number of partners, including teacher representatives.

“A multi-stage approach is planned to ensure the issues are considered in detail, allowing the summit to benefit from the most up-to-date data following the publication of the Behaviour in Scottish Schools research.

"The head teacher taskforce held its first meeting in June and the education secretary will shortly be writing to the education and skills committee to provide a further update on the planned behaviour summit.

“Importantly, this summit will require to be informed by the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research which will publish in the autumn.

"That research will provide a robust national picture in relation to behaviour in Scotland’s schools, which is particularly important given the last data compiled is from 2016.

"Reliable, up-to-date information on the national picture will be key. And in all of this work the Cabinet secretary has been absolutely clear that the views of teaching staff will be central.”

Ms Gilruth previously said the behaviour study would published by the end of the year.

Mr Kerr, a north-east MSP, said: “Now it appears ministers need to wait for a review to report back and have only committed to a vague date of holding meetings in the autumn.

“That simply isn’t good enough. Promises have already been broken on setting a date for the summit before parliament broke up for summer and it has been kicked into the long grass once again.

“While that report on school behaviour will be significant, ministers should not be hiding behind it.

“Every day of dithering on this issue harms our worried pupils, parents and teachers.

"The Scottish Government must tackle classroom violence with the urgency it deserves ahead of the new school year and guarantee our schools will have the resources they need to address it once and for all.”