Violence in island schools an every day occurence

​The GMB Scotland union obtained the information covering every local authority in Scotland as part of a campaign to highlight the issues faced by their teaching and school staff members on a daily basis.

In total, there were more than 44,600 incidents reported in Scotland in 2023 with city councils, like Glasgow and Edinburgh, recording more than 4000 incidents.

But the figures also reveal that even in rural areas and the islands, the situation is alarming.

The new figures obtained from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar reveal there were 398 incidents of violence and threats against all council staff in 2023 but confirms the majority – 271 - of incidents took place in schools.

GMB Scotland, which other than teachers represents school support staff including class assistants, janitors, admin and catering workers, said the reported incidents confirm the scale of a national crisis but are only “the tip of the iceberg.”

Lesley-Anne MacAskill, the union’s organiser in the Highlands and Islands, said: “These figures are shocking but sadly no longer surprising.

“Violence against staff in our schools is clearly at crisis levels but official records are still underestimating the scale of that crisis. These reports are the tip of the iceberg.

“From what our members tell us, the incidents of violence and abuse that are not being reported, recorded or investigated could far outstrip those that are.

“That must change as a matter of urgency and staff must be given the time and encouragement to report incidents properly and should expect those incidents to be properly investigated and acted on.”

A survey of GMB members has revealed two thirds of incidents are never recorded while three out of four victims said they receive no feedback if they do report an incident.

The union will use the reports to help ensure the council has an accurate understanding of the scale of the crisis. If effective, the posters will be rolled out in other council areas.

Ms MacAskill said: “Staff are too often expected to carry on working after an incident of physical or verbal abuse and told to report it when they have spare time, which is never.

“Details will be lost and many staff members, who may have been shaken but unhurt, see little point in spending time on a report that, they suspect, will end up filed and forgotten.

“The posters will give staff the opportunity to easily and quickly to tell us what is happening to detail the scale of the violence and abuse being endured by school staff.

“No worker should go to their work in fear and feel relief if they arrive home unhurt.

“No one should be asked to go to their work to be punched, kicked, bit, spat on, and expecting to suffer verbal or physical abuse.

“Our members do not feel the authorities are tackling or even recognising the violence in schools but are instead glossing over it and allowing it become normalised.”

The GMB Scotland survey of almost 800 school support staff, across janitorial, catering, admin cleaning, and classrooms, revealed 68% of workers fear the crisis has worsened over the last three years.

Almost half, 47%, of the support staff taking part do not believe local authorities take the issue of violence against workers seriously while 63% have had no training in de-escalating potentially violent situations.

A series of summits on school violence called by the Scottish Government last year were criticised for understating the scale of the crisis and failing to decide on decisive action.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth has admitted the system of monitoring and recording violent incidents in schools must be improved.