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School violence claim
Reporter: BEATRIZ AYALA
Date online: 10 March 2010
ACTION is needed to tackle abuse and violence in Oldham’s schools, according to a Conservative Parliamentary spokesman.
Government figures revealed 40 children from schools in Oldham were expelled for assaults and abuse, and 1,030 suspended — equivalent to six exclusions for each school day — in the last recorded year.
Kashif Ali, local Conservative Parliamentary spokesman, expressed concern as the figures showed that more than 1,000 pupils every school day are being suspended or expelled from schools across the country for physical assaults, verbal abuse and threatening behaviour on both pupils and teachers.
Mr Ali said that rules introduced since 1997 by the Labour Government made it more difficult for schools to expel pupils, which undermined the authority of head teachers and meant that disruptive children end up back at the same school as their victims.
He claimed that ministers also hindered teachers on “human rights” grounds from searching and confiscating items which might cause violence or disruption in schools.
Mr Ali said the Conservatives have pledged to give teachers new powers to tackle violence, to introduce home-school contracts to improve behaviour and to reform the exclusions process.
He said: “Despite the hard work of our teachers, it is clear that we have a serious problem with discipline in our schools.
“Unless there is good discipline, pupils can’t learn and teachers can’t teach.
“The children who suffer most are the poorest and the country as a whole loses out when teachers’ authority is undermined.
“A Conservative Government will give teachers in Oldham the power to restore discipline.”
Comments
If goneaway is a chair of governors as he says I would expect him to be able to do simple maths, figure should read 6,999,000. Not a good example to be setting.
I think teachers should be given their powers back. I lost count of how many times I was strapped but believe me, it did me no harm!
There were far fewer pupils expelled in the days of corporal punishment, and children realised that their actions have a consequence. Exclusion teaches them that there are no unpleasant consequences as they probably look forward to not having to go to school.
It's no surprise that when they become adults their behaviour doesn't change, when they also learn that society has no real punishment available either.
Sorry concerned parent - you are quite right I got the sums wrong. My excuse is the Tories ran the country when I was in school. I'm a chair of governors because I don't want today's youngsters to get the indifferent education I got under the Tories.
Nice response Goneaway. I trust Concerned Paren't point scoring has not blinded him to the fact that a ratio of good pupils to bad pupils of 6,999,000:1000 is really just as significant as 6,999,900:1000
It really is troubling when a chair of governors think that this is alarmist. 1000 kids per day equals around 200K pa out of 7million is a significant number, almost 3%. If you think that's alarmist then perhaps you should consider resigning.
When I was at school suspensions and expulsions were rare in the extreme, but then there was corporal punishment and the more challenging kids respected that and behaved accordingly.
Why not focus on constituency figures Mr Ali? If you are going to be the Conservative PPC for Oldham East & Saddleworth, let's be looking at what the situation is in our area shall we? Just goes to show how out of touch you are by being chosen by Central Office rather than the local party. Have you no idea how to connect with the electorate where you are standing??
Might as well hand the election to Woolas. Between you and Watkins you haven't a clue how to beat him.
Have Your Say
This is alarmist talk and Kasif Ali should be ashamed of himself. There are around 7 million children in school in the UK and 1000 of them get disciplined in a day. That is over 6,999,900 children not getting into trouble. Really this looks like our teachers are being effective in maintaining control. I'm a Chair of Governors of a school in a difficulat area and behaviour from a very few children is challenging but we're dealing with it well.
By goneaway @ 10/03/2010 13:51:24