More than 5,000 violent incidents have been reported in Scottish schools over the past five years, with hundreds of teachers requiring medical attention as a result, new figures reveal.
Data obtained by the Scottish Conservatives through Freedom of Information requests shows 5,222 incidents were recorded between the 2019/20 and 2024/25 academic years. Of these, 225 required staff members to attend hospital or visit a GP. The true scale of the problem may be higher, as some local authorities did not respond to the FOI requests.
The opposition party described the numbers as “deeply alarming” and criticised the Scottish National Party’s approach to school discipline. Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservatives’ education spokesman, stated: “These deeply alarming figures show how teaching staff are being betrayed by the SNP’s soft-touch approach to school discipline. Nobody should fear being assaulted in their workplace, yet that is the appalling reality for far too many teachers and support staff.”
He added: “This is why we have pledged to give headteachers the power to permanently exclude the most violently disruptive pupils from their school. They know what is best for their school, rather than unelected council officials. Our plans would restore some much-needed discipline to Scotland’s schools.”
Mr Briggs further criticised the government, saying: “The SNP’s guidance on violence in schools is full of waffle, and they have failed to act for too long on this issue. That’s left teachers, support staff and other pupils fearing they will be next to be attacked.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment regarding the findings.
More than four in five (81 per cent) teachers feel the number of pupils exhibiting violent and abusive behaviours has increased, according to a 2025 poll by the NASUWT teaching union.
The survey, of more than 5,800 NASUWT members in the UK last year, suggests two in five (40 per cent) have experienced physical abuse or violence from pupils in the last 12 months.
A fifth (20 per cent) of respondents said they had experienced being hit or punched by pupils in the last year, while 38 per cent said they had been shoved or barged.
Around one in six (16 per cent) said they had been kicked by pupils, while 9% said they had been spat at, according to the NASUWT poll.
One teacher who responded to the survey said: “I have had two children use a fire hydrant as a weapon. One at my head, another to my foot.”
Another said: “This morning I was told to, ‘go die, I hope you die.’”
