- Commission on School Reform calls for new guidance to “create order in schools”
- Link between persistent absence and poor behaviour
- Commission says Covid has negatively impacted parents’ and pupils’ attitudes to education
- Experts say “an unthinking sense of entitlement” has developed
The Commission on School Reform today calls for new Scottish Government guidance aimed at “creating order in schools”.
The Commission, established by Enlighten, the independent public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services, has published a new paper in which they conclude:
- There is a serious and growing behavioural problem in Scottish schools
- The poor behaviour of a minority adversely affects the education of all pupils
- Behavioural problems create stress for teachers, resulting in poor recruitment and retention
- Indiscipline has contributed to Scotland’s decline in international comparisons of international standards
The paper recommends that the Scottish Government issue guidance which:
- Starts from the standpoint that young people have a right to an education that is not disrupted by the conduct of others.
- Recognises the need for sanctions including, in serious cases, suspension by the headteacher and exclusion (removal to another school by the local authority)
- Emphasises the key role of senior management in schools
- Recognises the need for support from parents and promotes home/school partnerships.
The full paper can be read here.
Carole Ford, former head teacher and member of the Commission on School Reform, said:
“There has clearly been a loss of respect for education in some families. Support for teachers is not as strong as in the past, and there is a greater tendency for parents to side with their children against the authority of the school.
“The periods of lockdown in 2020 and 2021 accelerated these trends. The lack of any national post-Covid educational catch-up programme in Scotland seems to have confirmed some parents in the view that society no longer deems education to be as important as in the past.
“All this is having a negative impact on behaviour. To make matters worse, current government guidance tends to imply that bad behaviour on the part of pupils is the fault of the teacher or of some shortcoming in the organisation of the school. Such guidance is both counter-productive and inaccurate.
“New national guidance should recognise the need for schools to be able to withdraw the right to attend from pupils guilty of persistent or extreme behavioural problems. In some cases this would be ‘suspension’ for a short period, in others ‘exclusion’ – the permanent withdrawal of the right to attend at least the specific school in question.”
Enlighten’s Director Chris Deerin said:
“We know from the latest PISA results that academic standards in Scotland schools are declining at a worrying rate. This latest paper from the Commission on School Reform highlights the association between these falling standards, poor attendance and poor behaviour.
“The Commission has, once again, fearlessly articulated what they have called ‘an unthinking sense of entitlement’ which has developed since the Covid school closures.
“The Scottish Government should feel compelled to listen to this body of experts in order to, as they have written, restore order in schools.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The full paper can be read here.
- The Commission on School Reform was established by Enlighten. Its full membership can be seen on page 2 of the report.
- Enlighten is a public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services. Enlighten is independent of political parties and any other organisations. It is funded by donations from private individuals, charitable trusts and corporate organisations. Its Director is Chris Deerin and Alison Payne is the Research Director. Both work closely with the Trustee Board, chaired by Lord McConnell, which meets regularly to review the research and policy programme.
- For Enlighten media contact Andy Maciver, [email protected], 07855 261 244