Far-right movements 'fuelling racist and violent behaviour in Scottish schools'

The influence of far-right movements is turning some Scottish schools into a “battleground of blame and violence”, according to a teachers’ union leader.

David Anderson, the incoming president of NASUWT Scotland, will tell the union’s annual conference on Friday that racist, misogynistic and anti-immigrant rhetoric is trickling into schools across the country, leading to incidents of harassment, threats and violence.

The warning comes just weeks after First Minister John Swinney convened a gathering to unite Scotland against the “increasingly extreme far right”.

Swinney warned of “serious threats” to democracy and Scotland’s values at the summit, which was attended by more than 50 leaders from political parties, civic society, faith communities, and the trade union movement.

A motion on tackling the threat posed by far-right influences is due to be debated at the NASUWT conference on Friday.

It will call for pupils to be educated about the dangers of hate speech from primary school age in order to challenge the spread of prejudice-based abuse.

Mr Anderson, a computing specialist from East Ayrshire, will tell conference: “Abusive rhetoric by politicians is trickling down and facilitating increasingly abusive and hateful speech in social media, which in turn seems to be spurring rapid increases in the frequency of bias-motivated incidents of harassment, threats, and violence, including rampant surges in hate crimes.

“Schools and classrooms in some cases have become a battleground of blame and violence.”

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of teachers in Scotland who responded to the union’s recent behaviour in schools survey feel that social media negatively impacts pupil behaviour.

Some 5% of female teachers in Scotland who responded to the survey reported experiencing sexual abuse from pupils, compared to 2% of male teachers. Female respondents reported sexism and misogyny as among the types of abuse they receive from pupils.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Schools should be safe and consistent learning environments for all. Violent and abusive behaviour towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.

“The Scottish Government is providing support and direction at a national level, including the publication of the National Behaviour Action Plan. Local authorities are expected to implement this guidance to meet particular needs at a local level.

“We are also supporting new initiatives in schools such as the Digital Discourse Initiative, which provides teachers with practical strategies and curriculum tools to support staff to counter the effects of online hate and disinformation on children and young people.”