Call for violent pupil assessment

The association does not want violent pupils to simply walk back

Teachers have called for a risk assessment to be carried out before pupils excluded for violent behaviour are allowed back into school.

The plan was backed at the annual Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA) congress in Coylumbridge, near Aviemore, which opened on Friday.

Of the 43,000 school exclusions last year, an increasing proportion were for violent conduct, according to the SSTA.

President Albert McKay said the move would help protect teachers and pupils.

The union's Aberdeenshire branch introduced the motion, which was backed unanimously.

The branch said it was concerned that pupils were free to walk straight back into class once their exclusion period ended.

Mr McKay, an Ellon Academy guidance teacher, said action was needed.

"An increasing number (of exclusions) are actually a result of violent behaviour," he said.

The worst possible scenario is someone excluded for violent conduct repeats that violent conduct, and perhaps at a higher level Albert McKay SSTA

"This ranges from verbal abuse to physical assault or the threat of physical assault even through to fairly serious physical assault involving weapons."

Mr McKay said that at present, an excluded pupil would return following a meeting with teachers to discuss their behaviour.

He said: "What we are arguing for is that a formal risk assessment for a pupil returning following violent conduct exclusion will be done as a matter of course.

"The worst possible scenario is someone excluded for violent conduct repeats that violent conduct, and perhaps at a higher level, and staff and pupils are put at risk."

The proposals would see pupils assessed on their previous behaviour by a senior member of the school management team.

Extreme cases

Support measures would be put in place which could include anger management classes and counselling.

In very extreme cases, a pupil could be taught off-site.

The matter will now be considered by the Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla).

It could then be adopted by councils across the country.

A recent Scottish Executive report showed there were 42,990 exclusions in state primary and secondary pupils between 2005 and 2006, an average of 226 each school day.

The figures showed exclusions had risen by nearly 18% in four years.