8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it can take in response to the reported rise in violence and bullying in schools. (S6O-02679)

In June, I convened the first meeting of the headteacher task force, which is focused on school exclusions. In September and October, I hosted two events as part of the Scottish Government’s summit on relationships and behaviour in schools. A third event will take place later this month to discuss the behaviour in Scottish schools research, which will provide a robust national picture of what is happening in our schools across the country on a wide range of behaviours. My aim for the summit process is to work with teachers and other stakeholders to identify practical actions that we need to take to make progress.

Finally, we have started a review of our national anti-bullying guidance, “Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-Bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People”. The outputs from the summit and behaviour research will inform that work.

It is important to work with teachers, pupils and schools, but the fact is that we will not build a world-class education system while so many pupils are worried in schools. We need to put discipline and behaviour back on the top of the agenda as a condition of being in school. Will the Cabinet secretary bring forward a detailed proposal that sets out the types of resources and the plan that we are going to use to address the problem, which is affecting schools up and down Scotland?

I very much recognise Mr Rowley’s interest in the matter, and I agree that we need to work with the profession on how we can support it to best respond to some of those challenges.

Mr Rowley talked about behaviour and discipline. I am conscious that we have a cohort of young people moving through our education system who have experienced disruption to their education from industrial action or Covid impacts. We need to be mindful that all of that plays into changed behaviour and relationships in our schools. That said, Mr Rowley has raised an important point.

There is already national guidance in relation to what we as the Scottish Government provide. The national policy that already exists is the “Included, Engaged and Involved” policy document. However, I have made it very clear that my intention through the summit process is that we look to gather national evidence from those who work on the front line—our teachers and, of course, those who work as learning support assistants, who play a hugely important role in relation to our schools.

We use the findings from the summit process and the behaviour in Scottish schools research, which gives us the national picture, to help to inform the national action plan. Subject to the agreement of Parliament, I intend to bring forward a statement later this year to that end.