Number of pupils recorded absent after school threats hoax revealed
Last updated 29th Oct 2026
Scottish Borders Council is reassuring parents that schools in the region remain “safe and protected”.
It follows concerns over security at shared campuses after a series of hoax bomb threats - which police have said posed no threat.
A Freedom of Information request submitted by Greatest Hits Radio has revealed more than TWO THOUSAND children were marked absent from school locally on the first day back after the October break.
Some parents have confirmed they kept their children at home due to concerns over their safety.
Councillor Julie Pirone, the local authority's Executive Member for Education, told us: "In our schools where there are shared community spaces with other organisations, like a swimming pool, there are controlled entries into both sides, and that is monitored.
"Our children in our schools are safe and protected, and I don't want anybody to worry about that in any shape or form."
Questions were first raised about security ahead of the opening of the library contact centre at the grammar school campus in Jedburgh, and again more recently after the public swimming pool opened at the new school site in Galashiels
Councillor Pirone said: "We will be continuing to review all our policies about safety, and safety of our children at school, and safety of those people who are using our community facilities, that's important."
But, she added: "They are community facilities, they will have open parts of that, and I would ask everybody to be vigilant, to take care of each other, and if they see anything that they think is suspicious or not right, please let council officials or staff know in those facilities."
On October 19th, Scottish Borders Council confirmed it had received an email regarding "a device reportedly located within (its) schools", and that the matter was referred to Police Scotland.
A total of 2,335 pupils were marked absent for all or part of the day on October 20th. That’s around one in six of the 13,384 pupils enrolled.
It comes after Stormont’s education minister said more than 150 schools in Northern Ireland had received bomb threats, which are not being treated as viable.
In a message to parents at the time, Scottish Borders Council’s Director of Education, Lesley Munro, said: “There is currently no information to suggest any cause for concern.
“As children return to school, we would like to reassure you that the safety and wellbeing of our children, young people and staff remains our highest priority."
For more stories from the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, bookmark our home page - https://hellorayo.co.uk/greatest-hits/borders/news/