Edinburgh schools: Violent incidents increasing, new figures show

The total number of violent incidents in the Capital’s classrooms more than trebled in five years and has carried on rising.

Liberal Democrats submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 32 councils in Scotland, asking how many violent incidents have been reported in primary and secondary schools.

Violence in Edinburgh schools is on the rise

Thirty councils replied and the figures show there were a record-breaking 40,382 violent incidents reported in 2023/24 and there have been 24,387 already in this school year.

In Edinburgh, there were 2,908 violent incidents in 2023/24 and 1,843 so far this year. If the incidents continue at the same rate for the rest of the school year, the total could pass 3.000.

Scottish Lib Dem leader and Edinburgh Western MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton labelled the figures shocking.

And he called for more support for staff and increased investment in youth work.

The number of violent incidents in Edinburgh schools - primary and secondary - in 2018/19 was 964. That went down to 640 in 2019/20 and 408 in 2020/21, when Covid saw schools close for extended periods.

But by 2023/24 the number had increased to 2,908 - three times the 2018/19 figure.

Statistics for attacks on school staff alone show an 86 per cent rise from 1,319 in 2021/22 to 2,454 in 2022/23.

Mr Cole-Hamilton raised the national figures at last week's First Minister's Questions, when he noted that the Scottish Government had launched its national action plan on behaviour in schools at the start of this school year.

He said: “Pupils shouldn’t be going to school afraid. Teachers deserve to know this government has their back."

And he continued: “Since the launch of the Netflix drama Adolescence, everybody is talking about the challenges young people face: violence in school, the rise of toxic misogynists like Andrew Tate, online bullying.

“It isn’t just a drama, it’s happening here and now in Scotland too."

And later he told the Evening News: “Since the government announced their action plan on behaviour, there have been almost 2,000 violent incidents in Edinburgh's schools. Parents and pupils will be right to question what that plan is achieving.

“Under the SNP, teachers and headteachers feel abandoned. Ministers need to engage meaningfully with schools, give staff the support they need and invest in things like youth work to help our young people feel better about themselves.”

Answering Mr Cole-Hamilton last week, First Minister John Swinney agreed with him about the impact of Adolescence and the unacceptable behaviour of some supposed influencers. He referred to former England football manager Gareth Southgate’s recent Dimbleby lecture as a significant contribution to the debate.

And he said: “I am always open to wider consideration of how we can support school staff and ensure that schools are safe places for young people to be educated in. I am therefore very open to dialogue with Mr Cole-Hamilton on how we can take further practical measures, beyond what the Government has already announced, to ensure that we support our schools in that important work.”

Edinburgh education convener Joan Griffiths said: “It is deeply concerning to hear that there has been an increase in violent incidents in schools. Over the last decade, and against a backdrop of funding cuts, the learning environment has changed as a result of an increasing number of children with recorded additional support needs.

“It is a sad reality that dysregulated behaviour does occur in children and young people in schools, and we have had to look closely at the learning environment and how we best meet learners’ needs.

“We offer training to teachers and support staff working in our schools where required, to ensure that they are equipped to deal with any instances of pupil violence in an appropriate way. In addition to supporting staff when this does occur, we have robust and extensive programmes to promote positive behaviour and to manage behaviours of concern in school, so we can try and reduce the number of incidents. Our focus is on getting it right for Edinburgh’s children and staff.”