Pupils returning to school this term face tough anti-bullying rules laid down by state authorities, following the death of a schoolchild at the hands of bullies in Atlanta last year.

Under the regulations, schools are obliged to have anti-bullying policies, including the requirement that pupils are to be permanently expelled if they are caught bullying on three occasions in a school year.

This three-strikes-and-out approach is intended to stamp out bullying in schools, in response to concerns that school authorities were unable to tackle the problem of continuous re-offenders.

The law states that if "a pupil has committed the offense of bullying for the third time in a school year, such student shall be assigned to an alternative school".

The anti-bullying law also requires local boards of education to make sure that parents and pupils are aware of the campaign against intimidation in the classroom and the penalties which will be imposed.

This use of expulsions to tackle bullying is in contrast to the policies in place in England and Wales, where a campaign is underway to reduce the number of exclusions.