Data from authorities show a significant surge in home-schooling in Scotland. It is with over 2,200 children currently receiving home education, a 40% increase in two years, and more than tripling in seven years. The growth in home-schooling is attributed to concerns about violence, declining educational standards, and unfavourable job prospects in teaching. The massive rise in families choosing this route should sound alarm bells for the SNP.
A study of the NASUWT teaching union shows that four out of every ten teachers have experienced violence or physical abuse from students. Another reason for the rise in home education is the lack of appropriate school provision for children with ASNs (additional support needs).
Home-schooling in Scotland: Who Goes to School
Figures show that in the 2024/25 school year, there was a 28% rise in children choosing to be educated at home. Recent data from authorities show a significant surge in home-schooling in Scotland. It indicates that over 2,200 children are currently under home education, a 40% increase in two years and more than tripling in seven years. This increase is attributed to lower educational standards and an increase in classroom violence. Parents have no trust in state education. This is due to Scotland’s decline in international league tables for Reading, Math, and Science among 15-year-olds. Moreover, it is due to the stories of growing violence in schools.
The head of Scotland’s second-largest teaching union has told the BBC that education is broken. Stuart Hunter, president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA), said the school system has passed the tipping point, leading to a crisis.. The sharp increase in families opting for home education should serve as a serious warning. Miles Briggs, education spokesman, said Parents can choose home education for their children if they prefer it. But the vast rise in families choosing this route should sound alarm bells for the SNP.
Home-schooling Figures in Various Areas of Scotland: More Concerning News
Home-schooling in Scotland has experienced a significant increase in various areas. In Argyll and Bute, the number of home-schooled children rose from 15 in 2021/22 to 73 in 2024/25. In Fife, the number changed from 49 to 260 over the same period. Meanwhile, in Glasgow, the figure increased from 88 to 258. Moreover, in Dumfries and Galloway, the number has more than quadrupled, from 53 to 218, over the four years.
The statistics do not include Edinburgh, where the council reported that 49 children were registered as home-schooled during the 2024/25 academic year. It is because the local authority did not provide figures for previous years. Shetland was the only other council that did not offer the present and prior statistics.
Home-schooling in Scotland: Violence, Dropping Standards
Liam Kerr, the Scottish Conservatives’ education spokesman, strongly criticised the SNP’s handling of schools, pointing to rising violence, falling academic standards, and worsening job prospects in teaching. These are the primary reasons for the growth in homeschooling. A study of these factors by the NASUWT teaching union shows that four out of every ten teachers have experienced violence or physical abuse. The abuse is from students in the previous year, with virtually all respondents reporting worsening conditions. In Aberdeen, instructors have described some schools as completely lawless.
Meanwhile, violent behaviour is becoming commonplace. GMB Scotland said pupil support assistants were the most likely staff to suffer violence and abuse in Scotland’s classrooms. The union warned of an epidemic of assault and verbal abuse in Scottish schools.
Authorities, including Kerr, have urged the SNP to investigate the factors behind this surge. More importantly, they need to address the root causes and reform the public education system. The rise in home-schooling in Scotland indicates parental worry about the quality of education and safety in schools. Professor Lindsay Paterson of the University of Edinburgh emphasises that, while home-schooling can be beneficial for emotionally sensitive children, it lacks the impact of qualified teachers and peer interaction. He urges policymakers to take this pattern carefully as a warning signal.
Students Afraid of Physical Injury and Serious Distress: Stay Home
Clearly, something negative is happening in Scotland’s education system if so many more people are choosing to educate their children themselves rather than within the state system. The rise in home education is mainly due to the lack of appropriate school provision for children with ASNs (additional support needs), disabilities, and chronic illnesses. The education system excludes many of these students informally daily. And some have been violently restrained and/or placed in isolation in schools to the point of severe distress and physical injury.
The crisis in ASN provision is a disaster unfolding before us all at this very moment. There is a massive rise in the number of young people having ASN. Yet instead of increased support, ASN specialists are being cut to save money. ASN staff are overwhelmed, and the system is breaking. Schools often lack adequate resources to address challenging behaviour or other barriers to learning. Moreover, waiting times for referral to CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health services) and other specialist services are interminable. Even where parents obtain diagnoses privately, there are no resources to implement professional recommendations.
Funny Reaction of the Devolved Education System of Scotland to Schools ‘ Problems
The devolved education system has shown a funny reaction to home-schooling in Scotland. Education in Scotland is devolved, which means the Scottish Government sets the overall policy and regulations. Scotland’s councils should provide adequate and efficient educational requirements. Therefore, local authorities directly run all state schools in Scotland. As a result, the Scottish Government should be liable for the problems in the education system.
In the two decades since devolution, each of the administrations has made different choices about how much to spend on public services and how to manage them. The math scores of Scottish pupils in international tests declined between 2012 and 2018. Scottish science scores similarly fell. The Scottish Government has issued guidance to address school problems. It includes laminated cards with bullet points to remind disruptive students of the expected behaviour. However, opposition politicians and media outlets, such as The Times, have described this recommendation as ludicrous and pathetic.
