Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill

# Restraint and Seclusion in Schools (Scotland) Bill The bill addresses concerns about the use of physical restraint and seclusion as behaviour management practices in Scottish schools. These practices—which involve physically restraining pupils or isolating them in confined spaces—have been subject to limited regulation and transparency in Scotland's education system. The legislation responds to campaigning by parents, charities, and education professionals who argue that such practices can be harmful to children's physical and mental wellbeing, disproportionately affect vulnerable pupils including those with additional support needs, and lack sufficient oversight or accountability. The bill seeks to establish clearer rules and greater protection for pupils while ensuring schools have appropriate support to manage challenging behaviour through alternative methods. The bill's key provisions would place restrictions on when and how restraint and seclusion can be used in schools, likely requiring that these measures be used only as a last resort in genuinely dangerous situations, with strict safeguards and record-keeping requirements. It would establish clearer definitions of what constitutes prohibited practice and set out duties for local authorities and education providers regarding training, monitoring, and reporting. The legislation would also require transparency through reporting mechanisms and give parents the right to be informed when such measures are used on their children. As a Member's Bill (rather than Government-led legislation), its passage through the Scottish Parliament is not guaranteed and depends on securing sufficient support from MSPs.

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