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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence in secondary schools. [209731] Derek Twigg :[holding answer 24 January 2005]: Although violence in schools is rare the Government takes the issue very seriously. We are determined to help schools create an environment that reduces the risk to an absolute minimum. To achieve that we have: given every secondary school access to high-quality behaviour management training materials and expert advice from behaviour management consultants; funded extra support for schools facing the greatest challenges through our Behaviour Improvement Programme; made it clear that head teachers may permanently exclude pupils for violence even where this is a first offence; provided £120 million for school security improvements since 1997; issued a School Police Protocol to help schools develop effective relationships with the police; and based over 300 police officers in schools. In addition we are: developing specific violence prevention materials through our Violence Reduction in Schools project; developing curriculum materials to help secondary schools develop pupils' social, emotional and behavioural skills; and consulting on new proposals on keeping knives out of schools, including searching suspect pupils.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

209731; 430 c228W

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Curriculum Discipline Crimes of violence Finance Police Pupil exclusions Pupils Offensive weapons Schools Teachers Training Security Secondary education Violence

Link

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