There are reports of children being tied to chairs, being prevented from going to the toilet and being dragged across the floor, causing injury.
Willie Rennie clashed with Nicola Sturgeon over restraint of children at school.
By Bill Heaney
Vulnerable, disabled schoolchildren are being physically and mentally harmed by restraint practices in schools that may be illegal, according to Willie Rennie who leads the LibDems in the Holyrood parliament.
West Dunbartonshire Council refuse to tell us how many instances of this have been recorded in our schools, but this is the conclusion of a report by the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, according to Mr Rennie, who raised the matter in the Scottish Parliament.
The belt, tawse or Lochgelly may have been consigned to the past, but violent ways of dealing with pupils still exist.
Mr Rennie added: “More than 2,600 instances were recorded in just one year; 2,600 does not sound like a last resort to me. The Scottish Government has until the end of today to respond to the report. What will it say?”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon replied: “Although we will, of course, look to make changes if required, the guidance that is in place is clear about the importance of de-escalation in situations in which restraint may be considered.
“It is also clear that restraint must only ever be used in cases of absolute last resort. That is exceptionally important. However, we will respond to the commissioner and look at making changes to guidance or practice, if that is considered to be appropriate and necessary.”
Willie Rennie said the SNP government wasn’t good on children’s rights and had only that morning refused a request from the Equalities and Human Rights Committee of the United Nations to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14.
“It is therefore fair to question the First Minister and her commitment to children’s rights, rather than to wait and see,” he added.
Mr Rennie gave an instance of what he alleged was happening to restrain children – “A child with a mental age of three was left traumatised and distraught after being locked in a school cloakroom. There are reports of children being tied to chairs, being prevented from going to the toilet and being dragged across the floor, causing injury. The voices of those children are often not heard, so it is important for us to speak up for them.
“The children’s commissioner said that the Scottish Government is not complying with the advice of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The commissioner said that guidance is inconsistent and ambiguous and that he is not certain that restraint is used as a last resort. Will the First Minister take the advice of the children’s commissioner and dramatically cut the use of restraint on vulnerable, disabled children in Scotland?”
But Nicola Sturgeon said: “rarely—probably never—does a week go by in which I do not personally and directly listen to the voices of children and young people. It is a very important part of the job that I do and it is a very important part of how this Government conducts itself.
“Once a year, we meet as a full cabinet with the Scottish Children’s Parliament and the Scottish Youth Parliament. That is just one symbolic example of our commitment to hearing young people’s voices.
“We will respond to the commissioner and, if there is a view that changes are required, we will make those changes. We will continue to take whatever action is necessary to support an overall system in Scotland that is respectful of children’s rights in general and that puts children’s interests at the heart of everything that we do.”
She added: “Of course, we have committed to incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law.”
That will require a whole range of work to be undertaken across the Scottish Government to ensure that we are fully compliant with that convention. That is an important indication of how seriously we take these issues.
“Where we fall short—as all Governments do from time to time—it is important that we recognise that, and take action to rectify it. That is my personal commitment as First Minister and it is a commitment that runs right through our Government.”
West Dunbartonshire Council refused to reveal the numbers of children affected by this in local schools.
END