The National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is calling for urgent guidance on restraining students as physical assaults on teachers continue to rise. At its national conference in Harrogate, the union accused the Scottish government of a “complete abdication of responsibility” over the lack of a national strategy on physically restraining students during classroom violence. Statistics from a union survey in 2023 showed that 4 out of 10 Scottish teachers reported experiencing violence or physical abuse in the previous 12 months, with 93% saying the issue had increased.
Dr. Patrick Roach, the general secretary of NASUWT, remarked that teachers are putting their safety and careers on the line without proper training or advice. He said, “Every day teachers across Scotland are faced with situations where they feel they have to intervene physically to restrain a student to prevent them from hurting themselves or others.” Roach further noted that the much-needed guidance has been in the pipeline since 2020, yet four years later, nothing has materialized, while teachers are experiencing increasing levels of serious disruption and violence in their schools. The Scottish government said restraint should be used as a “last resort,” but a pledge to publish more concrete guidance by the end of 2023 was not met.
Draft guidance, published by ministers in 2020, stated that physical restraint should only be employed for the “shortest time possible and in the safest, least restrictive manner.” It should not form any part of education or behavior plans. At the same time, a Scottish government spokesperson reiterated that restraint and seclusion in schools should be used as a last resort to prevent harm, and existing guidance from 2017 remained in place. Regardless, teachers believe that their safety and careers are at risk, given the Scottish government’s four-year delay in releasing guidance on how teachers should respond when physical intervention is required.
Scottish teachers and NASUWT have called on the government to fulfill its obligation to teachers and commit to working with the union to publish much-needed guidance as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the government is exploring ways to strengthen the legal framework in this area, including the option of statutory guidance
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