FOI/202400411701 · FOI · partially withheld
Pupil violence and aggression in Scotland's schools: FOI release
Information requested
Copies of correspondence sent by members of the public to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills between April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024, in which there is discussion of pupil violence and aggression in Scotland's schools; and Any data on the volume of correspondence received by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and/or by the Government and/or all Ministers, in relation to school violence, in each of the last five years.
Response
Copies of correspondence held by the Scottish Government sent by members of the public between April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024, in which there is discussion of pupil violence and aggression in Scotland's schools;
I enclose a copy of the information you requested as a separate attachment (file 1).
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because of exemptions under sections s.38(1)(b) (personal information). An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, for example names/contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.
Any data on the volume of correspondence received by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and/or by the Government and/or all ministers, in relation to school violence, in each of the last five years.
In response to your second question, the volume of correspondence received by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and/or by the Government and/or all ministers, in relation to school violence, in each of the last five years is as follows:
1st January – 29th April 2024 = 9 1st January – 31st December 2023 = 14 1st January – 31st December 2022 = 2 1st January – 31st December 2021 = 1 1st January – 31st December 2020 = 1 30th April – 31st December 2019 = 0
Please note that the information includes documentation in scope up to, and including, 29 April 2024 (the day before your request was submitted)
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Detected exemption language
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because of exemptions under sections s.38(1)(b) (personal information). An exemption under section 38(1)(b) of FOISA (personal information) applies to some of the information requested because it is personal data of a third party, for example names/contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018. This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’, so we are not required to consider if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.