24 de dezembro de 2010

Violences at Schools

More than 500 pupils a day excluded for abusing staff

More than 500 pupils a day are excluded from school for attacking or abusing a teacher in an epidemic of violence in England's classrooms.

Almost 97,000 youngsters were permanently or temporarily banned in 2008/09 for physically or verbally assaulting adults in school, including thousands of primary school children.
The Tories last night blamed the "legacy" of violence on Labour for failing to support teachers or give them the necessary powers to tackle bad behaviour.
Research earlier this month found teachers were reluctant to tackle badly behaved youngsters amid fears they could be injured or lose their jobs.
Proposals contained in the Government's education white paper will give staff more protection to restrain abusive pupils, allow them to use "reasonable force" with disruptive youngsters and make it easier to search troublemakers.
A total of 96,990 children were excluded from an English primary, secondary or special school in 2008/09 – the most recent year available – for violence, verbal assaults or threatening behaviour towards an adult in school, according to Department for Education figures.
That is the equivalent of 510 pupils for every one of the 190 school days that year and included 1,440 pupils who were permanently excluded. The rest were removed for a fixed period.
Lord Hill, the schools minister, said: 'These figures shine a light on Labour’s education legacy.
"Labour left our teachers without the support they needed to tackle bad behaviour in our schools for over a decade. 
"These figures reinforce a deeply worrying picture of a teaching profession under fire and powerless to impose the discipline our classrooms need.
"That’s why our white paper set out a range of measures to empower teachers to deal with bad behaviour and establish strong discipline in the classroom."
Measures proposed in the white paper, published last month, included making it easier to restrain abusive pupils and guidance making clear that ‘no-touch’ rules are unnecessary and teachers may use reasonable force or physical restraint to control a disruptive pupil.
The consultation also suggested preventing appeals panels from sending pupils back to schools where they have been excluded by the head teacher, making it easier to search for items that cause disruption in class, like mobile phones and pornography, removing the requirement on teachers to give 24 hours’ notice for detention and better protection for teachers from false allegations.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "While not new, we welcomed the white paper's clarification of teachers’ rights to restrain and comfort pupils and have the right to anonymity if being investigated for any allegation made against them.
"The only way that pupil behaviour and exclusions will be properly dealt with is when teachers have control of the curriculum and we see an end to league tables. As long as league tables exist there may be some pupils who are perceived as less desirable than others to a school."
A study by the teaching union NASUWT earlier this year found only half of teachers believed there was appropriate support available for them to manage pupil behaviour.

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