To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing to teachers to help deal with behaviour in classrooms. (S6O-04754)

In August, the Scottish Government published a joint action plan with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on relationships and behaviour in schools. The first progress report, which set out action that was taken between November 2023 and March 2025, was published at the end of March, and showed that progress has been made against all 20 actions within the plan. In the coming weeks, we will be publishing new guidance, including on the use of consequences, to support schools to foster a positive, inclusive and safe school environment. We will also be publishing new guidance on developing risk assessments for violent, aggressive or dangerous behaviour.

The headline message this week from an Educational Institute of Scotland survey is that teacher workload is unfair and unhealthy. It is clear that contact time for teachers must be reduced, and that we need more additional support needs teachers and more teachers in general in our classrooms, as was promised, and smaller class sizes. Does the cabinet secretary not realise that those are the key actions that need to be taken if we are going to address the issues in our classrooms?

I thank Mr Rowley for raising that important issue in relation to the EIS survey and I look forward to addressing the EIS annual general meeting at its conference in Aviemore tomorrow.

The member will know that a key condition of the budget was that substantive progress was made on reducing class contact time. That is absolutely pivotal to creating the headspace that is needed in driving reform. He will also know that the budget provided extra funding to councils such as Fife in relation to teacher numbers and additional support needs. I have to observe that the Labour Party decided to abstain on that budget.

We have a number of supplementary questions. I will try to get them all in.

The cabinet secretary mentioned the Scottish Government’s action plan. That was published in August last year but, since then, more than 3,000 violent behaviour incidents have been reported in schools in Fife alone. We know that teachers are having to dedicate an increased amount of time to dealing with challenging incidents and that they are dealing with a lack of support for mainstreaming pupils and the upcoming changes in the Education (Scotland) Bill. That is simply too much for our dedicated teaching professionals, many of whom are contemplating leaving the profession.

In the update, will the Scottish Government give an idea of the effectiveness of the plan from last summer, particularly in light of the increasing expectations on our teachers?

Roz McCall has consistently raised issues relating to Fife. We have discussed those, and I am more than happy to engage with her further on that matter. I spoke about the advice on developing risk assessments for violent behaviour and on consequences that we will publish before the end of term. That was a key ask that came ahead of the publication of the behaviour action plan. There was a feeling from members of the profession that there were no longer consequences that they could deploy and be supported with. I want to be clear that teachers should be supported. We have exclusion in Scotland’s schools, and I have been clear that it is in the gift of teachers to use that as and when appropriate.

On the member’s point about effectiveness, the action plan runs over three years, and we will evaluate its effectiveness annually. I am more than happy to engage with the member ahead of that evaluation.

Ahead of the publication of the plan, I engaged with the Opposition on the issue—Mr Kerr was the Conservative party spokesperson at that point. That cross-party engagement was helpful. Perhaps it would be wise if we reconvened that group in August to look at the action plan on a cross-party basis and to talk about some of the issues that Ms McCall has rightly raised this afternoon.

I need a bit more brevity.

Alex Rowley raised the important issue of support for teachers. Freedom of information releases show that South Lanarkshire Council, which is run by Labour, has received more than £12 million of Scottish Government funding to reverse cuts to teacher numbers, but it refuses to do so and will end up cutting 65 more teachers. Will the cabinet secretary speak about the impact that that reckless decision by Labour will have? Does she agree that councils, including in Glasgow and other areas, should use that funding to support teachers?

As colleagues will know, and as I iterated in my response to Mr Rowley, the Government has made available £186.5 million to increase teacher numbers. We made that deal with councils in good faith through the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and I expect our councils to uphold their end of the deal. For example, I note that in excess of £12 million is being made available to help South Lanarkshire Council to do that. I hope that, when they are speaking with their local government colleagues, colleagues across the chamber will encourage them to uphold their end of the deal, which was made in good faith.

In relation to Fife Council in particular, I encourage Fife colleagues to engage with the Labour-run council in that part of the country to ensure that it is not planning to cut any teacher numbers.

The cabinet secretary will be aware of the case of Carol Shaw, who was violently attacked by a pupil in her school. He lifted her up and threw her head first on to a concrete floor, endangering her life. Following the attack, he went to another teacher’s desk, put his foot up on the desk and said:

“The stupid cow deserved it.”

What does the cabinet secretary say about that horrifying attack? When she speaks about consequences, will she have a discussion with the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs about how that individual escaped custody, despite the sheriff in the case saying that he could have received 18 months in custody?

I thank Mr Ross for raising that issue. I am of course aware of the case, which has received extensive coverage in the press. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on that specific case, but I am already engaging with the justice secretary on some of the substantive issues, particularly in relation to the recent press reports that we have seen regarding knife crime. There is a real need for us to take a joined-up approach to education and justice.

Two weeks ago, the First Minister spoke about our work on the mentors in violence prevention. That work is happening in our schools today, and it is good work, but there is more that we can do on a cross-portfolio basis on the point that the member makes, which I support.