Health and safety statistics collected by Moray Council have revealed a huge rise in the number of violent incidents involving school staff.
Last year the authority recorded 980 incidents involving pupils– a 48% increase from the previous year.
Yesterday, council chief executive Roddy Burns said the large rise “demanded” the issue to be looked at more.
Council officers explained that the surge in incidents may be partially explained by education staff being encouraged to report problems more by union representatives.
But Forres councillor George Alexander said he was concerned other factors may also be contributing.
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The former teacher said: “The fact this has gone up by so much is very worrying, but it is a trend that has continued for the last six years – it can’t possibly all be down to increased reporting.”
Elgin City North councillor Frank Brown added: “We need to bottom this out and get a hold of it because it’s an important matter – not just for health and safety but also for attainment issues in our schools.”
Following a debate at yesterday’s meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee, councillors agreed a report about the matter would be prepared for a further meeting.
Mr Burns said: “This is an important issue because it’s not just about the health and safety of our staff, but also the welfare of some of our most vulnerable young people.”
