Council rapped after school bullying ‘whitewash’ claim

Andrew PickenBBC Information ScotlandGetty ImagesA Scottish council has been censured by the UK’s info watchdog after information a couple of bullying incident had been modified weeks after it happened. East Dunbartonshire Council beforehand paid damages to a guardian who claimed the narrative of his daughter’s bullying was being “whitewashed” in favour of her college.The council advised him the incident was correctly logged on the time and it was not potential to switch information retrospectively, however later admitted this was not the case.The Info Commissioner’s Workplace (ICO) has dominated the backdating of those information didn’t adjust to information safety legal guidelines. East Dunbartonshire Council stated it has taken motion to handle the problems raised. The row centres on a nationwide training IT system referred to as Seemis which is used for recording pupil information and monitoring bullying complaints.Considerations have beforehand been raised about how Seemis is accessed and utilized by employees amid fears bullying in faculties is under-recorded.A petition calling for measures to cease academics altering Seemis information has additionally been lodged with the Scottish Parliament by public sector governance marketing campaign group Accountability Scotland.A spokesman for the group stated: “It’s clearly within the public curiosity that college information are correct identical to different public methods of information such because the NHS or police.”This ICO determination is good news as there actually must be enough safeguards in Seemis to cease historical past being re-written.”It is a Scotland-wide subject. If academics reap the benefits of deficiencies within the system it means dad and mom aren’t getting the complete story.”Faculty information alteredThe East Dunbartonshire case began when a guardian, who has requested to not be named, raised a proper bullying criticism along with his daughter’s college.The daddy-of-three stated his daughter later returned to this college, which is in East Dunbartonshire, however there was then one other incident involving a harmful weapon which went unnoticed in a supervised play space.The varsity advised the guardian, who works as an information analyst, that the incident had been correctly logged on Seemis, however the father later suspected this was not the case. East Dunbartonshire Council advised the guardian it was not potential to edit information of the incident involving a weapon however didn’t launch them when requested.After a civil courtroom problem the council was compelled to launch the info, which confirmed adjustments to a few information had been made after the incident, together with backdating information. The content material of those adjustments isn’t recorded by the system.GoogleEast Dunbartonshire Council says it has taken motion to handle the problem raised by the Info CommissionerIn its response to the guardian’s criticism concerning the backdating subject, the ICO stated it was of the view that this observe didn’t adjust to information safety laws.It added: “The observe of adjusting the date on a observe on the Seemis system doesn’t meet with the duty to be clear with regard to the processing of a person’s private information. “Whereas the notes themselves could also be an correct file of an incident or opinion, they aren’t essentially correct if the date is modified.”The ICO advised East Dunbartonshire Council it ought to change the performance of Seemis so notes can’t be backdated. Greg Bremner, chief training officer on the native authority, stated: “While the council doesn’t touch upon particular person instances, it had already taken motion to handle the problem raised by the ICO.”‘Escalating violence and bullying’ in schoolsEarlier this 12 months, BBC Information revealed there have been greater than 3,600 incidents of racism or racist bullying recorded in Scotland’s faculties in 2024, in comparison with 2,400 the 12 months earlier than.Campaigners say the true determine can be greater as councils aren’t complying with Scottish authorities steering to log all incidents correctly.Dr Pam Gosal, Scottish Conservative MSP for West Scotland, stated: “Throughout Scotland violence in faculties is getting worse, with academics, dad and mom and pupils all reporting a worsening state of affairs.”We will solely cope with escalating violence and bullying if information are saved correctly protected, and everybody can have full confidence within the system.”The a part of the Seemis system for monitoring bullying incidents was rolled out in 2019, however earlier analysis by watchdog Schooling Scotland recommended many faculties aren’t utilizing it correctly.