Scottish schools a 'battleground of blame and violence' due to far-right influence, union chief warns

Some schools have become a “battleground of blame and violence” due to the influence of far-right and populist movements on children and young people, the incoming president of a Scottish teaching union has warned.

Addressing the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) conference on Friday, David Anderson will say hateful rhetoric is trickling into schools, fuelled by social media, and leading to incidents of harassment, threats and violence.

Some schools have become a 'battleground of blame and violence' due to the rise of far-right movements, an incoming teaching union president will claim

A motion on tackling the far right is due to be debated at the Glasgow conference that calls for pupils to be educated about the dangers of hate speech from primary school onwards to challenge the spread of prejudice-based abuse.

Mr Anderson is expected to say: “Abusive rhetoric by politicians is trickling down and facilitating increasingly abusive and hateful speech in social media, which in turn seems to be spurring rapid increases in the frequency of bias-motivated incidents of harassment, threats and violence, including rampant surges in hate crimes.

“Schools and classrooms in some cases have become a battleground of blame and violence.”

Nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of teachers in Scotland who responded to the union’s recent behaviour in schools survey said they felt social media negatively impacts pupil behaviour.

Five per cent of female teachers in Scotland who responded to the survey reported experiencing sexual abuse from pupils, compared to 2 per cent of male teachers. Female respondents reported sexism and misogyny as among the types of abuse they receive from pupils.

Mr Anderson will also call for a united front to challenge prejudice and hatred.

He will say: “Education is often perceived as a threat by the extreme right. Internationally, we see the closure of departments of education and the removal of programmes to promote equality within society. In the USA, it’s called DEI, Diversity Equality Inclusion - that’s in the NASUWT DNA. We must protect and call out any attempt to water down or attack these principles.

“Education remains the best tool we have to counter racist narratives, to address prejudice against refugees and to tackle intolerance in our communities.”

Gregor Poynton MP speaking in the House of Commons

Scottish Labour’s Gregor Poynton, the MP for Livingston, warned teachers needed help.

Responding to the report, he said: "These findings confirm what many parents and educators already know - our classrooms are increasingly affected by online hate and misogyny. The higher rates of sexual abuse experienced by female teachers is particularly alarming.

"My concern is for the pupils, especially young girls, who face these poisonous attitudes daily, and for our dedicated teachers fighting these battles whilst trying to educate.

"Social media giants bear significant responsibility, having allowed their platforms to become breeding grounds for extremism whilst chasing profits.

"What we really need if for Ofcom to use the full powers available to them through the new Online Safety Act to clean up the online spaces children and young people are regularly accessing. Education remains our best defence against prejudice, but teachers cannot combat these forces alone."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for all. Violent and abusive behaviour towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

“The Scottish Government is providing support and direction at a national level, including the publication of the National Behaviour Action Plan. Local authorities are expected to implement this guidance to meet particular needs at a local level.

“We are also supporting new initiatives in schools such as the Digital Discourse Initiative, which provides teachers with practical strategies and curriculum tools to support staff to counter the effects of online hate and disinformation on children and young people.”

Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: “The misogyny, abuse and violence that teachers and educationalists are telling us about is shocking. Pupils shouldn’t have to fear their classmates and teachers deserve to know this government has their back.

"It's clear we have a serious problem which must be addressed and addressed soon."