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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will develop a strategy of zero tolerance of violence and intimidation directed at young people. [222703] Derek Twigg: The Government already has a "zero tolerance" approach to violence in schools and takes this issue very seriously. We have made it clear that head teachers may permanently exclude pupils for violence even where this is a first offence. We are working to create a climate in which all violence is recognised as intolerable. To achieve that, we: are giving every secondary school access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and expert advice from behaviour management consultants; are providing extra support for schools facing the greatest challenges through our Behaviour Improvement Programme; have provided £120 million for school security improvements since 1997; have based over 300 police officers in schools; are developing specific violence prevention materials through our Violence Reduction in Schools project; and are consulting on new proposals on keeping knives out of schools, including searching suspect pupils. These measures will enable schools to tackle the problems that may lead to an escalation to violence and they will make schools even safer for children and staff. In the main schools are very safe places. Instances of violence are far less frequent than on the streets and in the home. Staff and pupils report fewer concerns about violence than in other European countries.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c445W;432 c443W; 222703

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Bullying Schools

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk