Enable Scotland said children are being put at risk of physical and psychological harm.
Hundreds of disabled children are being restrained or secluded every year in Scotland’s schools, according to a charity.
A report for Enable Scotland, which advocates for people with learning disabilities, found 2,674 incidents of restraint and seclusion relating to 386 children were recorded by Scotland’s local authorities in 2017/18.
The true figure could be higher, however, as ten of the country’s 32 local authorities failed to provide data.
Enable Scotland said the report shows children are being put at risk of physical and psychological harm, as well as being denied their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
One parent told the charity how a young girl was regularly subjected to seclusion and restraint at school. On one occasion she was locked in a “safe space” for 45 minutes, where she soiled herself. The incident only came to light after another pupil wrote about the incident. The girl, now 17, is at a different school but remains on anxiety medication.
Another parent told how from the age of five her son was restrained regularly at school and was kept in a cloakroom by a teacher who held the door closed because he would not put his shoes on.
Enable is now calling for classroom staff to be given better training to ensure that children are not put at risk. The charity also wants to see children with identified additional support for learning needs being supported in class by staff who are trained in supporting positive behaviours.
Theresa Shearer, Enable Scotland CEO said: “In the 21st century, every child should go to school knowing they are safe from physical and psychological harm. They should feel welcome, listened to and be treated with respect from the moment they enter the school gates. To our collective shame, this is not the case for every child in Scotland.
“With the support of parents and children who have been directly impacted by this often- barbaric practice, we are calling on the Scottish Government to urgently tackle the issue of restraint and seclusion through better guidance, greater support for teachers, and transparency and improved reporting from schools. We also want to see the nomination of a single agency to lead on confronting this issue, including the need for accurate and timely reporting of incidents.
“We believe that, together with the other objectives outlined in the In Safe Hands? report, this will make a significant difference in ensuring that no child goes to school under a cloud of fear.”
