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Conservative leader David Cameron is to outline plans to remove persistent classroom troublemakers and give new powers to protect teachers in England.

Under the proposals, the ability of head teachers to exclude pupils will be strengthened and good schools will not have to take pupils from bad ones.

The Tories also want to end the right of parents to appeal to an independent panel if their child is excluded.

Schools Minister Jim Knight dismissed the ideas as "gimmicks".

Mr Cameron is expected to describe a "severe discipline problem" in schools made worse by a "no touch" culture for teachers.

The collective rights of the majority of pupils to learn need to trump the rights of disruptive individuals Michael Gove, shadow children's secretary

The Tories also want an end to what they describe as the "fines" imposed on schools that expel pupils - the loss of the funding that goes with the pupil.

Further measures would abolish the obligation for schools to provide teaching for excluded pupils after the sixth day of exclusion.

Excluded kids

Speaking ahead of the launch, shadow children's secretary Michael Gove told BBC News that it was important to deal effectively with badly behaved children.

"One of the problems is, unless we deal with disruptive pupils at the earliest possible stage, they will go on to make the learning environment unsafe."

Mr Gove said the changes would also mean extra help for excluded children.

"One of the things that we want to do is to increase the professional esteem in which teachers are held, and to increase their autonomy as professionals.

Removing the requirement to provide education for children suspended for more than five days will simply lead to more excluded kids roaming the streets Schools Minister Jim Knight

"So whether it's the freedom to exclude disruptive pupils, the freedom to be able to decide in their school what is and what is not allowed, the freedom to be protected from false allegations and ultimately the freedom to be rewarded by good heads for doing the right thing."

He added: "The collective rights of the majority of pupils to learn need to trump the rights of disruptive individuals who are wrecking things for their classmates."

Schools Minister Jim Knight said the Conservatives' proposals had not been adequately thought through.

He said: "Head teachers have the clear power to exclude disruptive pupils, but they tell us they do not want the appeals process to be abolished as that would see them being dragged through the courts to defend their decisions.

"If head teachers keep the funding for a pupil after they've been excluded, how will the Tories afford to give excluded kids the help and education they need to get back on track?"

Related Tags :

• General
• Behaviour Management
• Secondary Schools

Last Edited Date : April 7 2008 9:49 am