Discipline in schools

Another annual rise in the number of pupils excluded from Scottish schools is a troubling statistic, but what is most alarming about the figures issued yesterday is the nature and level of disruption endured daily by many teachers and children. It goes without saying that physical assaults (with or without weapons), verbal abuse, threats of violence, fire-raising, damage to property and other offensive behaviour are absolutely unacceptable. That there were more than 7000 physical assaults (10% of them incorporating an improvised weapon) in Scottish schools in 2006-7 is shocking. Such behaviour should never be tolerated, but by far the most common reason for removing pupils is general or persistent disobedience. That raises the deeper question of how to deal with increasing levels of routine disruption to classes, which wears down teachers and prevents children who want to learn from doing so.