John Swinney ‘appalled’ by Arbroath school attack video.

SCHOOL: Education secretary’s response to tackling problem ‘short-sighted’, says Angus mother

Scotland’s education secretary has told how he struggled to watch footage of an Angus pupil being attacked.

John Swinney expressed sympathy for the 12-year-old Arbroath Academy pupil’s plight and described what happened to him as “appalling”.

Two pupils were charged by the police after the boy’s front tooth broke off after he was punched and kicked by his attackers during the onslaught, which was watched by an estimated 100 pupils before it was shared on social media.

The boy’s mother wrote to Mr Swinney and told him the law currently allows offenders far more protection than their victims, which she said was “unacceptable”.

In a written response, he said: “I was very sorry to hear about your son’s experience at school over the last 18 months.

“It was very difficult to view the videos you shared. I can only imagine how you felt watching them as his mother.

“All violence in our schools is completely unacceptable. The care, safety and wellbeing of our children and young people at school is paramount.”

Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government is actively working with

“

It was very difficult to view the videos you shared. I can only imagine how you felt watching them as his mother.

JOHN SWINNEY, EDUCATION SECRETARY

schools and councils to provide targeted education and programmes to prevent and tackle serious violence.

Mr Swinney said the Scottish Government expects all schools to develop and implement an anti-bullying policy, which should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

The extent of violence in Angus schools was laid bare in a new council report which revealed three in four (75%) school pupils say they have witnessed someone being bullied, while 84% of staff said they have seen bullying behaviour in school.

The boy’s mother said Mr Swinney’s explanation of how schools are responsible for implementing antibullying policies was “slightly shortsighted”.

“I agree that schools should have the power to implement effective policies to safeguard all children, however our experience and other parents too, is that the schools are somewhat powerless,” she said.

“The inclusion culture seems to be failing, in my opinion.

“Where a child continuously offends to the physical and mental detriment of other children, and clearly no longer fits the inclusion criteria, surely the only viable option for the safety of other children, is in fact exclusion?”

The Arbroath Academy incident happened just weeks after a girl was filmed being dragged along a corridor by her hair in a 42-second clip shot inside Carnoustie High School. A 12-year-old girl was later charged.

A 14-year-old Forfar Academy pupil also needed hospital treatment after allegedly being attacked by three classmates.