Written question asked by Jim Cunningham (Labour) on Wednesday, 31 October 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 5 November 2001. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Monday, 5 November 2001 on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills.

Dept for Education and Skills

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if she will introduce legislation to deal with pupils who are violent and disruptive in the classroom and who threaten (a) teachers and (b) other classmates. - Inc ref to 'Schools: Achieving Success' white paper.

Answer: Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will introduce legislation to deal with pupils who are violent and disruptive in the classroom and who threaten (a) teachers and (b) other classmates. [12582] Mr. Timms: We will not tolerate violent or abusive behaviour towards teachers or pupils. Parenting orders may already be sought in cases where pupils have committed a criminal act. Our recent "Schools: Achieving Success" White Paper highlights our plans to extend the use of parenting orders so that they can be activated following violence or persistent misbehaviour by pupils at school. Parenting orders provide guidance to parents in managing challenging behaviour and their wider use would encourage parents to take more responsibility for behaviour in school. We have also made it clear to schools that if a pupil is violent to classmates or persistently bullies them, or if they are violent or threaten violence to teachers, head teachers have the legal power to exclude that pupil permanently. While recognising that permanent exclusion is a serious matter, we plan to require in legislation that exclusion appeal panels balance the excluded pupil's interests against those of all other members of the school community.

Secondary information