One former teacher-turned-elected member believes the matter is having an impact on staff morale, with teachers quitting the profession.
The council has been challenged to take urgent action after figures revealed that the number of recorded incidents in its education service has more than doubled over the past three years.
Conservative councillor Tom Marshall, who taught mathematics at Largs Academy for many years, raised the issue during a meeting on Wednesday, pointing to data showing 212 incidents in the first quarter of 2024/25, rising to 290 in the same period of 2025/26 and reaching 443 in the first quarter of 2026/27.
Cllr Tom Marshall (Image: NAC)
Cllr Marshall said the 108 per cent increase was deeply worrying and questioned what was driving the rise and what steps were being taken to protect staff.
Councillor Jean McClung, cabinet member for education, responded by outlining measures already in place to address the problem.
Cllr McClung said: “The paper covering the Health and Safety Annual Report 2025/26 that was presented to the meeting of cabinet on September 1 set out a wide range of actions that the education service is taking to minimise incidents of aggression and violence.
“This includes the fact that, working alongside trade union colleagues, we have developed a bespoke violence and aggression policy.
“Within that policy we are clear that, whilst our understanding of child development enables us to work with compassion and empathy, there is no place for violence and aggression within any of our establishments.”
Cllr Jean McClung (Image: NAC)
Despite these measures, Cllr Marshall said he remained unconvinced.
He said: “I was given the same assurances last year that we are working to reduce the incidents of violence and aggression but we have now ended up with huge increases.
“This is having an effect on staff. A study by the University of the West of Scotland reported on huge numbers of teachers giving up on teaching.
“Last year there were 408 Scottish teachers who quit within five years of passing their probation. We are not getting to grips on this.”
He then asked how many teachers in North Ayrshire had left the profession, but Cllr McClung said she did not have those figures available.
She assured members that the issue was being taken seriously and had been raised at the highest levels within the education service.
Cllr McClung said she had requested a meeting with senior education staff to discuss the rising levels of aggression and violence and was confident that “a whole raft” of measures were being implemented to tackle the problem.
She said staff were continuing to work closely with education colleagues and that the matter was being treated as a top priority.
The discussion took place during a broader review of the council’s health and safety performance, with education identified as a key area of concern.
