Glasgow primary-school exclusions more than double in five years, council figures show

# What happened

Secondary-school exclusions rose overall across the same period. They stood at 434 in 2021/22, increased to 495 in 2022/23, dipped to 460 in 2023/24, then rose to 468 in 2024/25 and 529 in 2025/26.

The council records these events as "exclusions" rather than "suspensions" and treats them as temporary measures.

# Numbers in context Glasgow provided exclusion rates per 1000 pupils to allow comparison with other areas: in 2025/26 the rate was 4.2 exclusions per 1000 primary pupils and 17.2 per 1000 secondary pupils. The FOI response supplied the raw counts that underpin those rates.

# What local politicians say Councillor Paul Carey (BEM), who submitted the FOI and shared the figures with the Local Democracy Reporting service, said: "Something is happening in Scotland's schools that politicians can no longer afford to ignore." He connected the rise in exclusions with broader pressures on children and families and argued that unanswered questions remain about causes and consequences.

Carey highlighted classroom impact: when teachers stop lessons to manage serious disruption, other pupils lose learning time. He said the pupil struggling with behaviour needs support, but so does the pupil who is "sitting quietly, working hard and trying to achieve good results." He called for better early intervention and for the wider system around schools to operate more effectively.

# Council response A council spokeswoman said exclusions have reduced over the years because teachers and school staff use nurturing and restorative principles to target individual needs. She added that exclusions remain an available option "for young people to understand that there are consequences for certain types of behaviour." The statement frames exclusions as one element in a broader approach that aims to support pupils and manage behaviour.

# Implications and questions for schools The figures point to several practical issues schools and local government must address: are increases tied to pupil need, staffing pressures, the availability of early intervention, or other local factors? If persistent classroom disruption is increasing, it has direct implications for learning time and attainment for other pupils.

Councillor Carey asked whether better early support could reduce both behaviour problems and poor educational outcomes. The council's emphasis on restorative practice suggests existing strategies, but the data raises questions about their scale and effectiveness against recent trends.

# What to watch next

• Whether Glasgow publishes more detailed breakdowns by school, age group, reason for exclusion, or repeat exclusions.
• Any local authority plans to expand early intervention or specialist support in response to these figures.
• Related data on staff assaults and other behavioural indicators that affect classroom safety and learning.