Moray Council figures reveal ‘epidemic’ of teacher attacks
Moray teachers have been attacked with knives, claw hammers, knuckle dusters and baseball bats in school over the last decade, it can be revealed.
New information released by Moray Council also shows that, in the first half of this year, there have already been 503 attacks against school staff by pupils.
Last year, 1142 violent incidents towards staff were recorded, with a further 1275 occurring in 2023.
Lhanbryde Primary School had the highest rate of physical assaults against teachers in 2023/24, with 1.8 assaults taking place for every pupil.
The school, which had a school roll of 139 in 2024, recorded a total of 249 assaults.
In second place was Portgordon Primary, with 1.7 assaults recorded per head of the school roll.
The highest total number of assaults in 2023/24 were recorded at New Elgin Primary, which had 353 pupils in 2024, with 355 attacks.
Figures from Moray Council also show the worrying list of weapons brought into schools before being used in attacks on teachers.
These include weapons ranging from scissors and knives to BB guns, claw hammers, baseball bats and sharpened rulers.
The exclusion numbers for the most recent year available show only 18 pupils were dismissed in 2023/24 despite more than 1000 violent attacks on teachers during that period.
Scottish Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands, Tim Eagle, said: “There is an epidemic of classroom violence across Scotland, and Moray is no different.
“The breakdown of discipline has been spiralling out of control for years across the country, yet the Scottish Government has done precious little to support teachers, instead passing the buck to local authorities and the police.
“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.”
A spokesperson for Moray Council described the violent incidents as “completely unacceptable”, but argued it had taken steps which had reduced the level of violence.
“Moray Council takes the safety and wellbeing of all school staff extremely seriously.
“We recognise the increasing concerns around disruptive and violent behaviour in schools, and we’re actively working to address these challenges through a multi-faceted and proactive approach.
”While the majority of pupils in Moray continue to behave respectfully, we acknowledge that a small number of individuals contribute to incidents that impact staff and the wider school community.
“We would add that the number of weapons quoted doesn't necessarily relate to the number of physical attacks.
"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.”
