Thursday August 13th 2026
Glasgow councillor Paul Carey BEM says these figures should serve as a “wake-up call” for everyone responsible for education in Scotland
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Catherine Hunter
Assaults carried out by pupils against staff at Glasgow primary schools have risen over the last five years according to the latest figures.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request shared exclusively with the LDR service shows that the number of physical assaults against staff in primary schools was 2346 in 2025/26.
The figures also show that the number of assaults sat at 930 in 2021/22, 1456 in 2022/23, 2396 in 2023/24 and 2459 in 2024/25 with 662 members of staff affected by the incidents in 2025/26 compared to 626 and 618 in 2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively.
Over the same period there were 707, 926, 2112, 1979 and 2499 assaults in Additional Support Learning (ASL) schools in Glasgow and 556 members of staff affected in 2025/26, 439 in 2024/25 and 443 2023/24.
There were just 156 assaults on secondary staff in 2025/26 compared to 172 and 125 in the previous two financial years.
Glasgow councillor Paul Carey BEM says these figures should serve as a “wake-up call” for everyone responsible for education in Scotland.
Councillor Carey said: “Behind every statistic is a member of school staff who has gone to work to educate and support children and has instead faced violence or abuse.
“No one should go to work expecting to be punched, kicked, bitten, spat at, threatened or assaulted. Teachers and school staff deserve exactly the same protection and respect that we would expect for workers in any other profession.
“This is not about blaming children or ignoring the complex challenges faced by some young people. Schools have a responsibility to support pupils, including those with additional support needs and behavioural difficulties. But supporting children and protecting staff are not competing priorities. We must be able to do both.”
Councillor Carey also says that teachers should not feel that reporting these incidents are pointless.
He added: “There is a responsibility on employers to protect their staff, and that responsibility cannot be brushed aside because the perpetrator happens to be a pupil.
“This is why the council and Scottish Government must work closely with the trade unions representing teachers and school staff. The people working in our classrooms every day are often best placed to tell us what is actually happening on the ground.
“And we need to ensure schools have access to the specialist staff and resources required to support pupils whose behaviour presents serious challenges.
“We want to attract and retain talented teachers, and we expect them to provide the best possible education for our children. But we cannot expect people to remain in a profession if they do not feel safe doing their jobs.
“The vast majority of pupils are not violent. The vast majority of parents want their children to learn, behave and respect their teachers. But a relatively small number of serious incidents can have a huge impact on staff, pupils and the wider school community.
“We should also remember that violence in schools affects children too. A classroom where teachers are dealing with repeated disruption or violence is not an environment where pupils can learn properly.
“Teachers should be able to walk into their classrooms knowing they will be supported.
“They should never have to wonder whether going to work means putting themselves at risk of being attacked.
“No one should go to work to be assaulted — and teachers should be no different.”
According to the city council, Glasgow has around 80,000 young people across 300 establishments.
The local authority says it continues to work with schools, families, young people and partners to reduce inappropriate behaviour.
A council spokeswoman said: “There is no place for physical or verbal abuse in our schools. It is not tolerated, and appropriate action will always be taken. No one should feel afraid to go to work or attend school.
“Our schools are actively encouraged to report any incidents and have measures and support in place to address challenging behaviour and its root causes.
“Figures in isolation however can be misleading and are best understood in the context of the city as a whole. Glasgow has around 80,000 young people across 300 establishments, and we will continue working with schools, families, young people and partners to reduce inappropriate behaviour.
“Glasgow invests significantly in early intervention and nurturing approaches across all school sectors to promote respect, tolerance, and kindness. We all have a role to play.”
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