Classroom discipline targeted

A task force has been set up to address the issue

Local authority chiefs from all over Scotland have met Education Minister Jack McConnell top discuss classroom disruption.

The meeting in Edinburgh saw education conveners from all of Scotland's 32 local authorities pledging their support to the group and swapping ideas about how to beat the problem.

The meeting was part of the Scottish Executive's attempt to improve behaviour among school pupils.

Mr McConnell has convened a task force to tackle the problem.

In its first meeting in January, the task force targeted primary school pupils in an effort to improve behaviour among the next generation of secondary school pupils.

Jack McConnell: Convened task force

Mr McConnell wants an improvement in secondary school pupils' discipline - by targeting children in primary schools.

The task force is to form a long term strategy of promoting better self discipline among primary children - both inside and outside the classroom.

Parents will also be encouraged to take greater responsibility for promoting good behaviour.

And in the shorter term, higher standards of behaviour will be set for secondary schools.

There will also be extra help to enable the schools and local authorities to meet these targets.

Violent attacks

Teachers have been claiming for years that a small but disruptive minority has created a rising tide of indiscipline in Scotland's classrooms.

Figures produced last month showed a significant rise in the number of reported violent attacks against teachers at Scottish schools.

A total of 3,083 attacks on teachers, 1,880 of them violent, were recorded between August 1999 and August 2000.

That represents a rise of 1,185 on the previous year - or more than 50%.

More than 1,000 incidents involved primary school children and there were also 30 recorded attacks by under-fives.

The violence ranged from physical attacks, verbal abuse and damage to personal property.

Almost 200 pupils were reported to the police as a result of all the incidents.

Repeatedly disruptive

More than one in 20 teachers were involved in an incident during the year, with 83.5 working days being recorded as lost as a result.

The minister said the discipline task group which he has set up would use the figures to inform their work.

Scotland's largest teaching union said pupil discipline in schools must be tackled if the new deal on teachers' pay and conditions is to have any chance of success.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said the McCrone agreement will only work if teachers are given the right to exclude repeatedly disruptive children.