Scotland’s schools confront crisis: commission warns discipline policy is failing as violence rises

A think-tank-led Commission on School Reform released a June 2025 report warning that Scotland’s approach to school discipline is fundamentally misguided, with violence in classrooms rising and teachers reporting mounting stress and departures from the profession. The commission says a policy framework that emphasizes restorative, pastoral measures over punitive sanctions has eroded the rights of well-behaved pupils to receive an education and contributed to a growing exodus of teachers under pressure.

The report documents a wave of disruptive and violent incidents in schools. In Aberdeen, two boys marched into a classroom and squared up to their female teacher. When she ordered them out and closed the door, they kicked it down. Across the city, violent incidents have soared about 70% in the past three years. In Dundee, a male music teacher was dragged from his classroom onto the floor by a pupil who charged at him; other teachers faced spit, trashed classrooms, students climbing on desks and even damaging staff cars. One educator who spoke to STV described recurring nightmares about classroom traumas, saying she feared returning after summer break. Laura — not her real name — said: “Being hit, pushed, headbutted, scratched, bitten, kicked on a daily basis. I’m covered in bruises most term time.”

The scale of the problem is reflected in the numbers. In the 2023-24 academic year, assaults on teachers in Scotland rose to about 16,000 — roughly one every four minutes of class time — nearly triple the figure from three years earlier. An NASUWT survey conducted this year found that 44% of Scottish teachers had experienced physical abuse or violence in the previous 12 months, and 90% had suffered verbal abuse. In March, Liberal Democrat figures showed 40,382 violent incidents were reported in Scottish schools during 2023-24, a new record. UK Government behaviour ambassador Tom Bennett told the Mail that both teachers and pupils are being left “harrowed,” describing the situation as a “ghastly dereliction of public duty.”

The commission’s authors argue that the government’s current approach—often labeled as softly-softly and heavily dependent on restorative justice—undermines overall discipline and—by allowing disruptive pupils to return to the classroom after restorative sessions—sends a signal that misbehavior has limited consequences. “Current guidance tends to imply that bad behaviour on the part of the pupils is the fault of the teacher or of some shortcoming in the organisation of the school,” former head teacher Carole Ford, a commission member, said. “Such guidance is both counter-productive and inaccurate.”

NASUWT Scotland official Mike Corbett says many members feel “gaslit” by senior management, reporting that debriefings with heads can be more about blame than support. He described meetings where staff were told their lessons were not engaging enough, rather than receiving practical help to manage disruption. Corbett’s remarks reflect a broader debate about whether restorative practices alone can counter rising violence while keeping classrooms safe and conducive to learning. On a BBC Radio Scotland phone-in this week, teachers recounted harrowing experiences: an Additional Support Needs unit worker described being assaulted by pupils; a probationary primary teacher said she now evacuates her class when chairs are thrown; and a pupil who battered a staff member with a heavy textbook was readmitted after a two-line apology note.

In June 2025, the Scottish Government released updated guidance for dealing with disruptive pupils, with Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth stating that exclusion remains available as a last resort. But both the Commission on School Reform and Tom Bennett say the changes do not go far enough. The commission’s report contends that the policy still centers on pupil rights with insufficient emphasis on responsibilities and sanctions, warning that the guidance amounts to “treading water.” Bennett, who works with schools across England and is rarely invited into Scottish classrooms, says many Scottish schools face a culture where the consequences for misbehavior are weak and the tools educators are allowed to use are insufficient to restore order. He adds that leaders in Scotland must acknowledge that the current approach has failed and be prepared to adopt tougher, clearer sanctions when necessary.

Professor Lindsay Paterson, a member of the commission and a leading education policy scholar at the University of Edinburgh, emphasizes the stakes: “A pupil has only one chance at schooling. If disruption prevents a student from completing essential courses, it can permanently affect that person’s life prospects.” The Scottish Government rejected the notion that it has not acted decisively, noting that its guidance “makes clear that schools have a range of consequences available to them including exclusion as a last resort where this approach is proportionate and there is no appropriate alternative.” A government spokesperson also said ministers disagree with Bennett and the commission, arguing that the guidance was developed with input from head teachers, unions and educational psychologists and reflects on-the-ground experience.

Nonetheless, the commission and Bennett argue that the problem is systemic and deeply entrenched within school culture and local authority practices. Paterson and others warn that without meaningful sanctions and a clear responsibility framework, violence and chaos in Scottish classrooms will persist and student opportunities will continue to be compromised. While the debate continues, teachers in Scotland remain on the front lines, navigating classrooms where safety, dignity and learning are at stake.