 The report looked at behaviour in schools |
Too much low-level indiscipline in Scottish classrooms is preventing pupils from learning, according to the top schools inspector. The senior chief inspector of education said there was room for improvement in the country's discipline policy.
Graham Donaldson found about one in 12 secondary schools and one in 30 primary schools had weaknesses in behaviour.
He made the comments as part of his review of the Scottish Executive's disciplinary policy.
Mr Donaldson's report looked at the progress of the official Better Behaviour, Better Learning initiative developed by Jack McConnell in 2001 when he was education minister.
The plan was intended to encourage better behaviour and better learning across the country's schools.
However, research conducted by Edinburgh University has revealed more than a third of secondary staff and half of all primary staff had never even heard of the campaign.
Mr Donaldson's independent Inspectorate of Education review outlines how schools and education authorities have implemented the Scottish Executive's disciplinary action plan.
He launched A Climate for Learning: A Review of the implementation of The Better Behaviour, Better Learning report during his visit to Trinity Academy in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
Mr Donaldson described how many schools and authorities were implementing the policy with evidence of positive change across the country but added that discipline is still an issue for staff, pupils and local authorities.
He said: "In too many schools low-level disruptive behaviour is a significant problem that prevents children from learning as much as they could.
"Very challenging behaviour from a few pupils also continues to cause concern.
Working together
"It is not down to teachers alone to deal with discipline. At an individual and organisational level we all have a role to play.
"Parents, school management and children's support and care services must all work together to ensure that our children get the most from their education.
"I hope by highlighting good practice, and identifying those areas where improvements can still be made, schools and authorities can achieve further significant progress in the coming years."
Evidence for the inspectorate's report was gathered over a two-year period from routine inspections, with the views of teachers and local councils were also sought.
A similar survey last year found most headteachers reported that much misbehaviour took place outside the classroom, both at lunch and break times.
In a typical day, most teachers would experience low-level indiscipline - but by the end of a working week, some teachers will have suffered verbal abuse and "a very small minority" may have experienced some physical aggression, last year's survey said.
Former assistant rector at Perth Academy, George MacMillan, said the lack of a suitable sanction is central to the problem.
He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "All the methods of punishment they've substituted for corporal punishment since it was abolished have been unsuitable, too time-consuming and more of a punishment for the teacher than for the pupil.
 Many teachers were unaware of the executive drive |
"What we applied was zero-tolerance, we refused to accept any kind of misbehaviour."
Ronnie Smith, general secretary of education union the EIS, said one problem was the time and resources needed to retain problem pupils in mainstream education.
He said: "We need to bring a variety of professionals in to assist and make their contribution to make it possible for some very challenged youngsters to behave adequately and that's high cost.
"There has to be a commitment not only to the introduction of mainstreaming, but the maintenance of it."
Mr Smith said it was vital to keep all options open, instead of adopting an "orthodoxy" of only mainstreaming or only excluding pupils.
Exclusion figures
Brian Cooklin of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland said the policy would still take time to work.
He said: "We're talking about a policy recently introduced, although it was announced three years ago, more recently it has received funding but it doesn't operate in the same way right across the country.
"It would be wrong to suggest that if we just did one thing we would get rid of indiscipline - it's going to take time and it's going to take co-operation."
And local government body Cosla said the study would prove useful in identifying a way forward.
Cosla said it recognised the need for improvements but also stressed the good work and practice existing in schools throughout the country.
The Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association said it was "a significant under-assessment" to say that a third of secondary teachers thought indiscipline was a problem.
General secretary David Eaglesham said: "Our own surveys have indicated a level of over 80% in recent years."
Tory education spokesman Lord James Douglas Hamilton said the executive should admit that there was a "discipline crisis" in schools.
"The executive has stuck its head in the sand and thinks that by ignoring the figures the problem will go away," he said.
Scottish National Party education spokeswoman Fiona Hyslop said: "The executive have once again failed to produce their annual statistics on indiscipline in schools.
"Peter Peacock (education minister) can run but he can't hide from his record forever."
But Mr Peacock said: "Tackling indiscipline in Scotland's classrooms is a top priority for me and this report shows good progress is being made.
"It also clearly shows that our schools are not chaotic battlegrounds as some would have us believe."
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In too many schools low-level disruptive behaviour is a significant problem that prevents children from learning as much as they could
