THE prevalence of bullying and indiscipline in Scotland's schools is the result of a culture of "toxic positivity" that fails pupils, according to a whistleblowing teacher from a school where staff are "afraid to go to work".
Recent high profile reports of violent attacks in Scottish secondaries have horrified parents and led to calls for politicians to do more to protect young people and ensure a safe environment for learning.
One teacher, who works in a school in Glasgow's east end where staff went on strike due to fears over pupil behaviour, spoke exclusively to The Herald about their concerns around the way teenagers are supported.
They claimed physical and verbal violence is being "normalised" in Scotland's schools and pupils who witness this violence or who miss class time because of it are being failed.
Bannerman High has been making headlines since 2018 when a whistleblower contacted The Herald's sister paper, the Glasgow Times, to share a letter sent to the then-education minister John Swinney detailing alleged dire conditions in the school.
The letter writer, who remained anonymous, caused controversy by describing the pupils as "animals", speaking of gangs of young people roaming hallways and carrying out targeted assaults on other pupils.
The writer went on to say: "I am asking you, Mr Swinney, how can we do our job successfully and create the next generation of purposeful and successful young people when we live with the fear of assault, racial abuse, sexual...
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