Tory pledge to restore school discipline

The Conservatives have set out plans to give headteachers more powers to exclude disruptive pupils.

David Cameron said on Monday that the party wants to end the right of parents to appeal to an external panel if their child is excluded.

Fines for schools which expel pupils will also be axed under the proposals.

And the Tories would abolish the requirement for schools to arrange lessons for excluded pupils from the sixth day they are out of school.

Cameron said the proposals would "help put the teacher back in charge of the classroom".

"We are saying we believe schools should be strong, independent institutions, rather than branches of the department for education, or whatever it is called this week," he said.

"That's the fundamental difference, it's really giving schools the power to control discipline, to bring order to the classroom and giving them the independence to do that as strong, independent institutions."

He criticised the "no touch" policy saying teachers should be able to "sometimes be physical" with pupils, but insisted the move was not "about bringing back corporal punishment".

"You have got to be able, sometimes, if a child is tearing down a corridor, to put out your hand and grab them," he said.

"I think we have got in a situation where we are treating children like adults and treating adults like children.

"I think we do need a restoration of common-sense. That means a lot of these no touching policies have got to go."

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said the proposals would make it easier for teachers to confiscate "disruptive" items from pupils.

He said: "At the moment if a teacher wants to ban a mobile phone, the burden of proof is on the teacher to prove that it was justified. We think that's entirely wrong.

"Teachers shouldn't have to be looking over their shoulder at the threat of legal challenge when they are taking the steps necessary in order to ensure that their schools are environments where the majority of pupils can learn."

However, schools minister Jim Knight said the proposals were Tory "gimmicks" that had not been properly thought through.

"Headteachers 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.

"If headteachers 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?

"Cutting funding and removing the requirement to provide education for children suspended for more than five days will simply lead to more excluded kids roaming the streets with nowhere to go and nothing to do."