Swinney: Excluding disruptive pupils risks pushing them into organised crime

Excluding disruptive pupils from school risks pushing them into the hands of organised crime, John Swinney has warned.

The First Minister said such measures had “consequences” as he defended new guidance saying it should only be a “last resort”.

But Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said a stricter approach is necessary to restore discipline in schools.

John Swinney during First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament | PA

He accused Mr Swinney of “virtually” stopping exclusions, causing discipline to collapse and turning teachers into social workers.

“We believe in exclusions for violence because they protect staff and pupils, and because they work,” he said.

Mr Findlay ridiculed new guidance for schools on how to deal with violent and aggressive behaviour from pupils as “tedious, hand-wringing nonsense”.

Teaching unions and opposition parties have been urging the Scottish Government to do more to tackle violence and poor behaviour in schools.

In March, a survey by the NASUWT union found 83 per cent of teachers believed pupil violence and aggression had increased in the last year.

Speaking during First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood, Mr Swinney said it was “palpably false” to claim he had stopped exclusions. He said there were 11,676 exclusions in Scottish schools in 2022/23, the last year for which figures are available.

“The guidance is crystal clear that exclusions are part of the approach that can be taken, but I’m making it clear today that exclusions can have negative consequences for young people,” he said.

Mr Swinney said excluded pupils are no longer in the safe environment of school, adding: “They are therefore likely to be out on the streets, and therefore potentially able to become involved in some of the criminal activity that Mr Findlay himself has put to me within the last fortnight at First Minister’s Questions as being a risk to which young people are exposed.”

Mr Findlay said there are different types of exclusion “rather than just putting children on to the streets”.

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He criticised the new guidance for suggesting teachers have “a conversation to jointly problem solve with the child” and proposing they produce laminated bullet points advocating alternative behaviours.

“We need a tougher approach, not laminated cards and inclusive chats,” Mr Findlay said. “If pupils are violent or serially disruptive, exclude them.”

Mr Swinney said the guidance seeks to address violence and deescalate situations in schools. He accused Mr Findlay of demonising young people and peddling “simplistic nonsense”.

Speaking to journalists after FMQs, Mr Swinney said: “I think there are consequences of exclusions, so therefore those who call for there to be more exclusions have to also address the consequences.

“And the point I was making to Russell Findlay was the consequences of his call for more exclusions could be to contradict the call he made to me a fortnight ago, which was to avoid children becoming caught up in organised crime.”

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth previously said the new guidance had been developed with input from headteachers, unions and child psychologists.

She said: “The majority of children and young people behave well in school, but where someone needs support with their behaviour, it is important that schools can respond in ways that are appropriate, supportive and respond to the needs of each individual child.”