Knuckle dusters, claw hammers and baseball bats used by pupils in school staff attacks
An FOI from the Scottish Conservatives revealed 1,142 violent incidents towards staff were recorded last year, with a further 1,275 occurring in 2023.
Some of the assaults, which took place across the region, involved knives, claw hammers, knuckle dusters and baseball bats.
The new figures released by Moray Council come as violence against teachers in Aberdeen schools saw a 25% rise in the past year.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Tim Eagle, believes there has been a 'breakdown of discipline' and criticised the government's approach when it comes to supporting teachers.
He said: 'Teachers need to be given additional support to ensure they feel safe to carry out their duties in the classroom but not enough is being given.
'Across Moray, children deserve to learn in environments free from violence and disruption, and our teachers deserve to be protected from such horrifying incidents.
'The Scottish Government's priority should be giving every child in Scotland the opportunity to succeed in life and that starts with reducing classroom violence, protecting teacher numbers, and driving up standards to benefit Moray's future generation.'
Moray Council says it 'takes the safety and wellbeing of all staff extremely seriously' and that they're 'actively working to address these challenges'.
A spokesperson said: 'To support staff in their handling of an incident, and reduce incidents of violence, Moray Council has implemented enhanced reporting and monitoring; staff support and training; positive behaviour frameworks, including the CALM theory approach; targeted interventions; partnership working – working closely with parents, carers, Police Scotland, trade unions and community partners to ensure a coordinated response to behavioural issues both in and out of school.
'Since introducing this approach and changes to our Additional Support Needs offer, we have seen positive impacts and an overall reduction in violent and aggressive behaviour across our settings.
'While violent and abusive behaviour towards staff or pupils is completely unacceptable, understanding the context of the number of incidents is important. We're committed to creating safe, respectful learning environments and will continue to support our schools and staff with the resources and strategies they need to ensure that every school in Moray is a safe place to learn and work.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson added: 'Violence or abusive behaviour in our schools is completely unacceptable – it is important that schools are safe environments for staff and pupils alike.
'We are providing support and direction at a national level through our Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan. We have been working with a range of partners on new guidance on fostering positive, inclusive and safe school environment, including the use of consequences, which we will publish before the end of the school term.
'Local authorities have the statutory responsibility for delivery of education in Scotland and therefore are expected to implement this guidance at a local level.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
SNP's handling of Flamingo Land appeal 'risks being unlawful'
Since then, Green MSP Mr Greer, who is involved in the Save Loch Lomond campaign, had his legal advisor send a detailed letter of concern to the Government. Concerns raised include the reappointment of the same official who previously recommended that Flamingo Land's mega-resort be given permission to go ahead. This official will now lead on the recall case and make a new recommendation to Ministers, which Greer's legal advisor Ian Cowan warned risks making the process 'tainted by bias'. READ MORE: Yes to Flamingo Land, no to National Parks: what's the SNP playing at? What locals in Balloch think of Flamingo Land The Green MSP for the West of Scotland said: 'The public and the experts have said again and again that [[Flamingo Land]]'s destructive application must be rejected. The National Park did the right thing last year when they unanimously said no to this daft mega-resort. And when SNP Ministers were about to overturn that decision and let it go ahead, we forced them into a u-turn. 'But since then the Scottish Government has made some deeply questionable decisions. They refuse to hold any public hearing and have asked the same official who tried to approve the plans to 'mark his own homework' by making recommendation for a fresh decision." Another concern raised in the letter is the apparent contradiction in the dates of specific documents. The document formally reappointing the previous official to prepare a new report for Ministers was published on July 4th, having apparently been signed off by a senior planning official on June 24th. However, the document's properties show that it was created on July 4th, shorty after the publication of a separate document from this official which laid out the new process. The appointment document also did not carry the digital signature of the relevant senior official. Mr Greer added: 'Now they're [the Scottish Government] asking Flamingo Land to draft their own planning conditions on their own terms, against the wishes of the National Park. Is it any wonder that local people get the feeling that the cards are being stacked against them? 'I hope there is a simple explanation for this inconsistency in the date of the official's appointment, because it is hugely concerning. There needs to be full transparency here if the public are to have any confidence in this process. As it stands, the timeline just doesn't add up and that's a massive cause for concern.' The Scottish Government said the development raised issues of "national significance" and so they decided to recall the appeal. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Ministers decided to recall the Lomond Banks appeal as the proposed development raises issues of national significance in view of its potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. As this is a live planning appeal it would not be appropriate to comment further.'
Edinburgh Reporter
7 hours ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Charities criticise offshore wind farm decision
Conservation charities have criticised The Scottish Government's decision to grant consent for an offshore wind farm that they say could threaten some of the nation's globally important seabird colonies. RSPB Scotland has described the decision to grant consent for SSE Renewables' proposed Berwick Bank wind farm in the outer Firth of Forth as 'catastrophic' and warned it could 'catapult some species towards extinction'. Scotland's largest conservation charity, The National Trust for Scotland, said the decision was 'deeply disappointing' and would 'further erode Scotland's reputation as a nation that cares for its environment'. The charities had called for the plans to be refused, predicting that the development, close to known established colonies like the Bass Rock and St Abb's Head, will over its lifetime kill tens of thousands of seabirds including kittiwakes, puffins and gannets. Although Scottish Ministers require the developers to demonstrate that 'sufficient seabird compensation' will be put in place before the project can start, conservationists said it was 'not clear how the thousands of seabirds predicted to be killed can be compensated for'. Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: 'This is a very dark day for seabirds. It is a terrible decision on a really bad development. 'Berwick Bank would be catastrophic for Scotland's globally important seabirds which are already facing alarming declines. 'In addition, its impacts are so damaging they will make the relative impacts of other wind farms significantly higher. 'This one wind farm is going to make it really challenging to accelerate renewable projects across Scottish seas. 'We are incredibly concerned that Scottish Government have granted consent for a project which could catapult some of Scotland's most-loved seabird species towards extinction. 'RSPB Scotland recognises climate change is one of the biggest threats to seabirds, but there needs to be seabirds left to save. 'We support nature-positive offshore wind, in the right locations with minimised impacts on wildlife and measures to restore and protect seabird populations. 'But this is predicted to be one of the most damaging wind farms for birds we are aware of anywhere on the planet.' Berwick Bank is a proposal by SSE Renewables of more than 300 turbines covering 1000 square kilometres, off the East Lothian and Scottish Borders coastline. It is anticipated to generate 4.1 gigawatts (GW) of energy, which could generate enough electricity each year to power every household in Scotland around twice over, using turbines stretching 355 metres high to the blade tip. The Scottish Government's own assessment estimates that the project will kill 261 gannets, 815 kittiwakes, 2808 guillemots, 66 puffins and 154 razorbills in the first year of operation, with this level of mortality continuing throughout the 35-year lifetime of the development. McCall added: 'We will be carefully scrutinising the details of the consent documents over the coming hours and days and considering what further steps we will take.' Scotland is home to internationally important seabird populations, including 60% of great skuas and almost half (48%) of the world's Northern gannets, with one of the biggest colonies on Earth found at the Bass Rock. Research has shown that 70% of seabird species in Scotland are in decline, even before the significant impact of avian flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or HPAI). Last year, five more UK seabirds were added to the UK Red list of most conservation concern, meaning they are at risk of extinction or require urgent conservation action. Scotland has more than 50% of the UK population of each of these five species. RSPB Scotland said that since the Berwick Bank site was first identified around 15 years ago numerous other projects had come forward, most of which were 'much less damaging to seabirds'. Diarmid Hearns, the National Trust for Scotland's Interim Director of Conservation & Policy, said: 'Today's decision by Scottish Ministers is deeply disappointing. More than that, we fear it will also be the cause of significant harm to the seabird colonies of St Abb's Head National Nature Reserve and elsewhere on the coastline. 'As we observed in our submission, the proposed mitigations by the developers fell far short of alleviating the expected impacts in terms of fatalities and disruption. Indeed, the Scottish Government's own Chief Scientific Advisor Marine and a review panel drawn from the Scottish Science Advisory Council came to the same conclusion. 'We look forward to hearing more about the detailed seabird compensation plan that is a condition of the approval, as soon as this is available. If this is not adequate — and it needs to be a major improvement on what is currently proposed — then the development should not proceed. 'At the National Trust for Scotland we are supportive of the drive towards renewable energy, but not at the expense of the very nature and habitats this effort is supposed to help save in the face of climate change… 'This is not a good decision for nature and further erodes Scotland's reputation as a nation that cares for its environment and recognises its importance to our collective future.' Harry Huyton, CEO of the marine conservation and education charity The Scottish Seabird Centre, said the decision was 'devastating news for seabirds'. He added: 'The Scottish Seabird Centre and nature charities across Scotland have repeatedly called on the Scottish Government to refuse consent for Berwick Bank and to instead back lower impact wind farms. 'It's deeply disappointing that these concerns — and the advice of the Government's own adviser, NatureScot, who also objected to the development — appear to have been ignored.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes defended the decision, and said: 'Ministers have given the Berwick Bank wind farm application extremely careful consideration. 'The decision to grant consent to Berwick Bank is a major step in Scotland's progress towards achieving net zero and tackling the climate crisis, as well as supporting national energy security and growing our green economy. 'It is also an important decision for Scotland's renewables sector, and this investment will be further built upon through the delivery of Scotland's significant future pipeline of offshore wind projects under the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. 'We will continue to work closely with the developer and key stakeholders, including those working in fishing and conservation — to minimise the impact of the development on the marine environment and other marine users – and balance the needs of people and nature.' Anne McCall RSPB Scotland Director Northern gannet Morus bassanus, adult pair courting, PHOTO Les Cater RSPB Northern gannet Morus bassanus, adult pair courting, RSPB Bempton Cliffs Nature Reserve, Yorkshire, June PHOTO Les Cater Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica, adult with fish in its beak, Shiant Isles, Hebrides, Scotland, July PHOTO Chantal Macleod Nolan Like this: Like Related
Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Telegraph
Over £3 million spent on translation services by Social Security Scotland
Dibo is one of over 600 languages spoken in Nigeria. It is spoken in about twenty villages in the south of the country, but it is not known to be taught in Nigerian schools. It is, however, one of the 90 languages which Social Security Scotland has spent over £3 million translating or interpreting in the past 4 years. Other languages range from Albanian and Belarusian to Urdu and Tamil, via Oromo and Somali. According to figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through a Freedom of Information request, between 2021-22 and 2024-25, the Scottish Government agency which manages the benefits devolved to Holyrood, 'spent £3,071,104.85 on services including interpreting phone calls and meetings, translating letters, and proof-reading documents'. Total costs have increased in every consecutive year, but it is the rate at which they have risen that is truly remarkable. From costing taxpayers £103,373.06 in 2021-22, the amount had spiralled to an eye-watering £1,367,718.44 by 2024-25. Meanwhile, Scotland's public finances are expected to 'come under increasing strain over the next five years'. Back in May, the Scottish Fiscal Commission produced a damning report with a 'warning of rising welfare costs, sluggish economic growth and an £851 million income tax black hole'. Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison has already blamed the country's reportedly impending financial woes on 'global pressures', 'inflation' and of course, Westminster's 'austerity-driven policies'. I wonder if anyone knows the Dibo word for 'unaccountable'.
