Study reveals six instances of weapons being taken to Moray schools

Fears are being expressed over the number of items that were being taken to schools and brandished as weapons by pupils.

A study conducted under freedom of information legislation by the Scottish Conservatives revealed that home items including kitchen knives and a hacksaw had been taken to schools and used to threaten or attack people.

Even toys were found to have been used – including BB Guns and parts of Lego sets – with the number of incidents involving weapons in schools increasing over the last year to 181.

Of the 17 local authorities who responded to a request for details on weapons incidents in school, the highest number recorded was in Aberdeenshire where 112 were noted.

In Moray there was only six such incidents – these including knives being held by pupils aged between six and fourteen while a BB Gun had been brandished by a 15-year-old pupil.

A spokesman for the Educational Institute of Scotland commented: “Teachers deserve to work in a safe and secure environment where they are not subjected to threat of harm.

“However, it is also important to remember severe incidents of indiscipline involving violence or the threat of violence remain comparatively rare.”

Several local authorities would not provide information on the number of instances recorded, citing the costs of providing such information as their reason for not doing so.

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