The Scottish government was too slow to provide teachers with guidance on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, education secretary Jenny Gilruth told MSPs today.
Guidance was published in November 2024, with Ms Gilruth today accepting that it had “taken too long”. She added that part of the reason “was, of course, the pandemic”.
She said a review would be carried out to “understand to what extent this new guidance is improving practice”.
Underreporting of seclusion and restraint
Ms Gilruth told MSPs that there is “probably” an underreporting of incidents where seclusion or restraint is used in schools.
She said the Scottish government would back the general principles of a new bill, which aims to minimise the use of such practices.
Labour MSP Daniel Johnson has introduced a member’s bill at the Scottish Parliament to address the issue. While the education secretary said the government would support it at its first vote, she indicated that changes will be required.
The Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill will, if passed, require schools to inform parents if their child has had to be restrained or put into seclusion. It will also ensure that schools have to report annually on the use of such practices.
The bill has already been backed by the charity Enable and children’s commissioner Nicola Killean.
Ms Gilruth said she is “supportive” of its principles. While there are some “challenges” with the proposed legislation, she believes these could “be resolved”, adding that Mr Johnson is “very open” to this.
She was appearing at a meeting of the Education, Children and Young People Committee at the Scottish Parliament, which is scrutinising the proposals.
Restraint ‘not used in most Scottish schools’
In September, campaigner Kate Sanger told how her disabled daughter was left “terrified to go to school” after being restrained.
The education secretary told MSPs that she had met Ms Sanger to hear first hand about the “traumatic effect” such treatment had on her daughter.
Ms Gilruth said: “Let me be clear today, no family should have to experience this.”
She added that “practices of restraint are not used in most of Scotland’s schools” and it is “not a practice most classroom teachers are trained in”.
The education secretary said: “The vast majority of our education workforce does not need to be trained in the use of restraint.
“On those rare occasions where it is deemed necessary, it is important that properly trained staff feel confident to do so, supported by the detailed advice and safeguards that should be followed, as outlined in our guidance on physical intervention.”
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