Thousands of incidents have been reported over the last two years across the city’s 141 primary schools.
Over the same period, reported incidents in secondary schools have fallen.
In total, more than 6000 incidents have been reported over the last three school years.
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Primary schools recorded an increase from 2559 incidents in 2023/24 to 2637 in 2024/25.
For the current school year 2015 to the present there have been 1054 incidents in primary schools.
The Glasgow Times uncovered the scale of the issue in a Freedom of Information request.
The council said the data covers tens of thousands of pupils, thousands of staff and more than 170 schools.
Secondary schools have recorded a drop of more than 30% in incident reports from 417 in 2023/24 to 287 in 2024/25.
This year so far, there have been 139 incidents reported.
The data covers reported verbal and physical violent incidents.
The council said it can range “from low-level perceived threats, to verbal abuse and or include incidents of physical injury”.
When releasing the figures, officials pointed out that it relates to 172 education establishments, around 7000 staff and 70,000 pupils.
Glasgow City Council stated: “It is important to note that whilst incident reporting over recent years has increased, there are several factors, including proactive initiatives within Education Services, that has assisted in raising awareness and encouraging staff to formally report incidents.”
The initiatives include an annual education staff health and safety induction in August for all education staff during the In-service day “with an emphasis on staff incident reporting procedures”.
The council said a recent review was carried out of the ‘Education Services Violence Management Standard’ (policy) regarding managing, reviewing and supporting staff following violence within Education Services.
Specifically, this includes, the council said: “Highlighting the requirement for staff to formally report incidents in line with the requirements of the Education Services Violence Management Standard”.
Trade union violence at work surveys have also been encouraging staff to report incidents.
And a joint education service and trades union Violence Collective Working Group set up to raise awareness, improve reporting and the reduce the potential for violent incidents occurring.
Union representatives in Glasgow have confirmed that the information released matches the evidence they see.
The Education Institute of Scotland (EIS) said it has a “steady stream” of members contacting officials about injury at work as a result of violent behaviour, with the majority of this coming from primary teachers or teachers working in ASN.
The Glasgow Times asked every council in Scotland for details of violent incidents.
In Edinburgh, there was an increase in incidents in primary schools from 763 in 2023/34 to 1010 the following year. To date for 2025/46 there has been 771 already in the capital.
Secondary schools recorded a big rise from 112 to 301 from 2023/24 to 2024/25 and there has been 232 already so far.
Aberdeen also showed an increase in both primary and secondary schools.
From 210 in primary schools to 273 over the two years and 135 already this year to date.
Secondary school incidents doubled from 16 to 32 and 24 have been noted so far for 2025/26.
Dundee showed a significant drop in incidents from 1231 in primary schools two years ago to 798 in the last school year and 126 up to October this year.
For secondary, it also fell, from 414 to 247 and 39 in the current year, from August to October.
West Dunbartonshire Council figures show there has been a reduction in violent incidents between 2023 and 2024.
It showed there were 811 incidents in 2023 and in 2024, it was 450.
There were far more recorded incidents in primary than secondary schools with 811 cases in primaries in 2023, going down to 450 the following year.
In secondary schools it was 56 in 2023, down to 18 last year.
For 2025 to date, the council said there had been 267 incidents in primary schools and 2 in secondary schools.
In Renfrewshire, the number of recorded incidents increased from 412 in 2023/24 to 428 in the last full school year.
In primary schools in 2023/24, the number was 338, increasing to 348 in 2024/25.
In secondary schools, it was 74, increasing to 80.
For the current school year to date (2025/26), there have been, so far, 202 in primary schools and 29 in secondary schools.
In East Renfrewshire violent incidents involving pupils targeting staff have totalled more than 500 in the last two years.
There were 370 incidents in 2024/25.
The data includes 332 recorded incidents in primary schools and 38 in secondary schools.
It is an increase on the year before, where it was 344 with 284 in primary schools and 60 in secondary.
So far this year, 2025/26 there have been 180 in primary schools and 34 in secondary schools
In East Dunbartonshire there were a total of 806 incidents over the last three years.
The number fell from 375 in 2023/24 to 350 in 2024/25.
The 2024/25 year included 329 cases in primary schools and 21 in secondary schools.
This year so far there have been 74 incidents in primary and 7 in secondary reported.
