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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Kaitlin Easton

Scots teacher left lying in corridor after being 'attacked' by pupil

A teacher was left lying on the floor of a school corridor after he was allegedly attacked by a teenage boy.

Emergency services were called to Taylor High School in Motherwell, shortly after 3pm on Wednesday, May 24, following reports of a member of staff being assaulted.

The teacher, who is understood to be in his 60s, did not require medical treatment.

A 13-year-old male has since been charged in connection with the incident and a report has been submitted to the youth justice authorities.

Footage capturing the alleged attack shows the teacher on the floor of the school surrounded by concerned colleagues.

The clip is understood to have been shared on popular social media app Snapchat.

The incident comes just weeks after we reported an assault on teachers on May 13 at Johnstone High School in Renfrewshire. Three female members of staff - aged 59, 48, 34 - were taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. A 14-year-old pupil also sustained minor injuries.

They were allegedly attacked by a former 16-year-old student.

On May 18, we also told how a primary school teacher attacked by a child in his classroom was left with a life-changing disability and unable to hold his newborn baby.

The Daily Record has been attempting to tackle youth violence as part of its Our Kids ... Our Future, with many experts telling us that more needs to be done to address the issue within schools.

Mike Corbett, national officer for teaching union NASUWT, said: "These kinds of incidents are simply unacceptable; teachers should be able to attend their work without fear of being assaulted or abused and pupils should be able to come to school and feel that they are in a safe environment.

"The sooner we have the summit promised by the Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills about violent incidents in Scotland's schools, the better."

Local MSP for the area, Stephanie Callaghan, said she was deeply saddened by the news and had been in touch with the local school.

She said: "I was deeply saddened by this news and have been in contact with Taylor High School to share my concern for the individuals harmed, and to offer my continued support to the school community at this time.”

Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon called an urgent plan and review of violent behaviour in schools and said constituents had raised concerns with her directly.

She told the Record: “No one working or learning in schools should be subject to violence.

“We must tackle the root causes of the behaviours that are causing concern to pupils, staff and families.

“I pay tribute to the Daily Record for elevating these issues to the top of the political agenda. The Our Kids…Our Future campaign is highlighting the urgent need for solutions.”

She added: "The Scottish Government’s summit must tackle the root causes and improve our collective understanding of the impacts of poverty, trauma and indeed the Covid-19 pandemic on children and young people."

Paul McWatt, Head Teacher of Taylor High School, said: "We take all incidents of antisocial behaviour extremely seriously and will always apply appropriate measures to address any such issues within our school."

A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council confirmed that an incident occurred at the school and action was immediately taken to contact Police Scotland.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of an assault on a member of staff at a secondary school in Motherwell shortly after 3.10pm on Wednesday, 24 May.

“A 13-year-old boy was charged in connection with the incident and a report has been submitted to the youth justice authorities."

“We are acutely aware of the disruptive effect anti-social behaviour has on the local community.

“Dedicated patrols are carried out in areas affected to provide reassurance and to engage with young people and discourage anti-social behaviour.

"Anyone who has concerns about anti-social behaviour in their area is encouraged to contact police by calling 101.”

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