Reports of violence and aggression in Fife schools have soared by a whopping 97% in just two years.
Almost 6,000 incidents were recorded in 2024.
That equates to around 600 a month across the school year.
Complaints have increased, despite a concerted effort to tackle the issue.
Now a dedicated working group is being set up in a bid to get to grips with the “deeply troubling” trend.
The figures were presented to Fife Council’s education scrutiny committee on Tuesday.
Dunfermline councillor Aude Boubaker-Calder questioned the “urgent measures” already implemented.
And she called for evidence the strategies are making a difference.
“There’s an ongoing effort to provide training of de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed practices, which is great,” she said.
“But the effectiveness of these initiatives must be questioned with violent incidents continuing to rise.
“These figures are deeply troubling.”
Fife school violence involves ‘very small number of pupils’
However, the Liberal Democrat councillor’s claim there is “nothing going on on the ground” was challenged.
Fife Council education director Donald MacLeod branded the remark “completely inaccurate”.
And he said: “I think there needs to be a dose of reality and realism.”
He said the 600 violent or aggressive incidents a month were spread across 150 schools.
That works out, on average, as four a month – or one a week – in each.
“Given that for a large majority of incidents it will be the same individual, we’re talking about a very small number of pupils,” he said.
“We’re not underplaying the severity of it.
“But to suggest there’s nothing going on in the field is alarming to me and I think it discredits the hard work of our staff.”
Support important for teachers and pupils
According to Mr MacLeod’s report, each school has its own relationships and behaviour policy.
Pupil support assistants now have more time to support individual students.
And the council regularly surveys staff to monitor their welfare in schools.
An emphasis has also been put on reporting incidents, along with extra training and the power to ban the use of mobile phones.
This will continue, along with increased communication with parents.
The new working group will ensure further solutions are developed.
Committee convener Kathleen Leslie said: “In Fife we understand fully how important it is to have happy, heathy, fully-supported, enthusiastic teachers in our classrooms.
“We also understand and fully appreciate what a difficult job they do.
“We want to help them continue to do that.”
She added: “It’s equally important that our young people feel heard and supported in school.
“And it’s encouraging to understand the work that’s being done to make sure this is the case.”
Conversation