NASUWT issues challenge to MSPs following new Programme of Government

As MSPs return to Holyrood, NASUWT - The Teachers' Union is calling for urgent and concerted action to address the continuing failure to effectively tackle violence and abuse in Scotland's schools, as well as excessive teacher workload and the crisis in Additional Support Needs (ASN) provision.

Figures from NASUWT's annual Big Question survey of teachers in Scotland, shared with Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture & Gaelic, Mairi McAllan, show that nearly three-quarters (74%) have been verbally abused by a pupil in the past year and nearly a quarter (23%) have been physically assaulted. These figures are up slightly on the previous year where 73% had experienced verbal abuse and 20% physical assault.

Just 22% of those who had experienced abuse said they felt their school dealt with it in a satisfactory manner, compared to 21% in 2025. The lack of progress in both bringing down levels of abuse and violence against teachers and in schools responding effectively when incidents do occur should be a priority for this parliament, NASUWT believes.

The Union is calling on the Scottish Government to make the implementation of the National Action Plan on Relationships and Behaviour mandatory across all schools and local authorities and for a requirement to be introduced to publish robust data setting out which local authorities and schools have updated their behaviour policies and School Improvement Plans (SIPs) in line with the guidance.

Teachers responding to the Big Question survey reported a sharp increase in their typical working hours per week, from an average of 41 hours per week in 2025 to an average of 53 hours in 2026.

54% of teachers said their workload has increased significantly in the past year, compared to 47% in 2025.

Data and assessment requirements, admin and clerical tasks and pastoral care continue to be the biggest three drivers of excessive workload, according to teachers, and NASUWT is calling on the Scottish Government to return to its 2015 Tackling Bureaucracy report and explore why the key workload drivers in it have not been properly addressed by most employers.

84% of teachers said that rates of adverse emotional, social and mental issues among pupils they teach had increased in the past 12 months, the same percentage as in 2025.

Responding to First Minister John Swinney's Programme of Government speech, Matt Wrack, NASUWT General Secretary, said:

"While John Swinney's commitment to an equalities agenda is welcome, inclusivity is just one of the many challenges faced by teachers in Scotland. The First Minister cannot afford to ignore the other issues affecting our schools: pupil behaviour, excessive teacher workload and provision for additional support needs.

"These issues are interlinked. Effective systems to better manage pupil behaviour and resourcing provision for ASN help to drive down excessive workloads and free teachers to focus on pupil learning. This, in turn, helps to drive down incidents of poor behaviour and enables better outcomes for pupils with ASN.

"It is worrying to see no guarantee to ring-fence the £920m in Barnett Consequentials flowing from reforming special needs provision in England. This is urgently needed as investment in ASN spending in Scotland. If the First Minister wants every child in need to receive specialist support, he must fund it - or condemn teachers and pupils to a vicious cycle of underfunding and underachievement."

Mike Corbett, NASUWT Scotland National Official, said:

"The government's investment in equalities programmes such as the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning, the National Approach to LGBTQI+ Inclusive Education, and the Digital Discourse Initiative all show promise.

"However, challenging pupil behaviour remains a major concern for NASUWT. The Misogyny Bill, alongside increased investment in the Equally Safe at School and Mentors in Violence Prevention Programmes, are a starting point - but we can't help but feel that little attention has been paid to the wellbeing of teachers.

"Pupil behaviour and workload were cited by teachers in our survey as the two biggest concerns about their job. Our data shows not only a lack of progress in addressing these issues, but that in some cases the picture is getting worse.

"£200m towards the poverty-related attainment gap may help a little in addressing some workload issues, but this will be hard-won and slow to trickle down. In the meantime, words alone will not help teachers' stress levels, nor keep them and their pupils safe in their classrooms.

"We will not accept a failure of employers and elected leaders to put in place the actions that can and should tackle violence, abuse and low morale in our schools."