Conservative leader David Cameron is to outline plans to remove persistent classroom troublemakers and give new powers to protect teachers in England.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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 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 fines imposed on schools that expel pupils.
The Tories also want an end to fines imposed on schools that expel pupils.
Further measures would abolish the obligation for schools to provide teaching for excluded pupils after the sixth day of exclusion.
Further measures would abolish the obligation for schools to provide teaching for excluded pupils after the sixth day of exclusion.
Teacher surveys have suggested as many as a third of teachers have been assaulted and nearly one in five have been threatened with a weapon.
Teacher surveys have suggested as many as a third of teachers have been assaulted and nearly one in five have been threatened with a weapon.
Excluded kids
Excluded kids
Speaking ahead of the launch, shadow children's secretary Michael Gove told BBC Radio 5 Live: "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.
Speaking ahead of the launch, shadow children's secretary Michael Gove told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It's important that we deal effectively with them [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.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "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
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."
"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.
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."
"We need to get persistent and unrepentant troublemakers out of the classroom... so they can get the specialist support they need."
Schools Minister Jim Knight said the proposals had not been adequately thought through.
Schools Minister Jim Knight said the 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.
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?"
"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?"
Are you a teacher, or do you have children in school? Is there a severe discipline problem in classrooms? What do you think of the Tory proposals? Send us your experiences using the form below:
Are you a teacher, or do you have children in school? Is there a severe discipline problem in classrooms? What do you think of the Tory proposals? Send us your experiences using the form below:
