A TOTAL of 742 incidents of physical violence occurred in the region’s schools last year.
And it has prompted two councillors to lodge a motion urging the Scottish Government to hold an urgent summit on violence in schools.
North West Dumfries member Paula Stevenson and Annandale North councillor Carolyne Wilson released the statistics to back up their calls.
They show that between April 2022 and March 2023, there were 662 physical violent incidents in primary schools in Dumfries and Galloway, and 80 such incidents in secondaries.
The pair said: “Whilst these are small statistically, every incident is unacceptable and has a mental and physical toll on those involved.
“No child, young person or staff member at our schools should suffer from either physical or mental abuse and should not be harmed in anyway.”
Their motion will go before the full council on Tuesday when they will ask for support to officially recognise that the local authority is “abhorred by the current escalation of violent behaviour”
The duo have pointed out that evidence gathering relating to violence in schools was last gathered in 2016.
And they want to acknowledge the issues that have arisen from covid, various lockdowns, and a cost of living crisis, since 2016.
