Overview

• The Commission on School Reform, convened by policy institute Enlighten, says Scotland faces a serious, growing problem of indiscipline that is driving staff stress and disrupting learning.
• The report recommends updated national guidance so headteachers have clear backing to use short suspensions and, for persistent or extreme cases, permanent exclusion from a specific school.
• The Scottish Government says violence has no place in schools and points to guidance that promotes safe, inclusive environments with exclusion used only as a last resort.
• Evidence cited includes a NASUWT survey reporting 44% of teachers experienced physical abuse or violence and 90% verbal abuse in the past year, alongside previously reported 40,382 violent incidents in 2023–24.
• Published statistics referenced in coverage show 11,675 temporary exclusions and one permanent exclusion in 2022/23, a pattern critics say has constrained schools’ responses.