School discipline 'tough' line urged

1 February 2014 Last updated at 22:20

Teachers urged to 'get tough' on bad behaviour

Some 700,000 pupils remain in schools where behaviour is "not good enough", a government spokesman said

Teachers can dispense "tough but proportionate" punishments to tackle bad behaviour in schools, Education Secretary Michael Gove has said.

Possible sanctions include weeding school grounds, tidying classrooms, writing lines and reporting to the school gates early in the morning.

The government said there had been "significant progress" in improving behaviour in schools since 2010.

But Mr Gove said there was "much more still to do".

Updated guidelines on dealing with bad behaviour will be sent to all schools in England next week, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

In March last year, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers said the number of pupils in the UK with behavioural and mental health problems was on the rise.

The union said disruptive classroom behaviour was worsening, with 53% of 844 members surveyed reporting a deterioration over the past five years.

The government said persistent absence and exclusions for abuse and assault were down significantly since 2010.

But 700,000 pupils remain in schools where behaviour is "not good enough", the spokesman added.

'Orderly environment'

BBC education correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti said the education secretary's announcement did not involve new powers for teachers.

Mr Gove was urging the use of existing sanctions available to schools, and there would be no need for new legislation, she said.

A DfE spokesman said the updated guidelines would make it clear that punishments were "as crucial to an effective education as praising and rewarding good behaviour".

He said the current guidelines stopped short of outlining potential sanctions, leaving many school heads and teachers unclear on what action to take, and also with health and safety fears or concerns about litigation.

Mr Gove said: "Our message to teachers is clear - don't be afraid to get tough on bad behaviour and use these punishments.

"The best schools already ask pupils who are behaving poorly to make it up to their teachers and fellow pupils through community service.

"I want more schools to follow their example by making badly behaved pupils pick up litter or help clear up the dining hall after meal times."

He said standards of behaviour were improving in schools, but there was "much more still to do".

"These new guidelines will give teachers the confidence to be tougher on bad behaviour and ensure every child has the chance to learn in a controlled, orderly environment."