Press Association
Monday December 19, 2005

New legal rights to restrain unruly pupils and confiscate disruptive mobile phones and music players are to be extended to all frontline school staff.

The education minister Jacqui Smith will announce today that headteachers will be able to delegate the powers to people such as teaching assistants and playground supervisors.

The government's education reform white paper set out plans to give teachers a "clear" right to discipline children and restrain them through reasonable force where necessary.

The changes are designed to stop badly behaved pupils disrupting lessons and then claiming: "You can't do anything to me, Miss".

A taskforce of leading headteachers proposed the "clear and unambiguous right" amid warnings the current legal basis for disciplining pupils - which relies on 200 years of case law - was too open to challenge.

Following detailed consultation on the plans, the government has also said the powers will be enforceable on pupils' journeys to and from work.

That move is designed to help stop bad behaviour on school buses and also tackle bullying outside the school gates.

Ms Smith said: "Our proposals will strengthen teachers' authority and give them the confidence to take firm action on all forms of bad behaviour.

"They will also send a strong message to parents and pupils that a culture of disruption and failure to take responsibility will not be tolerated.

"Our white paper proposals are about strengthening every school in every community, particularly in deprived areas and the discipline measures are a good example of this."

The rights will not be available to staff such as cooks and caretakers.

The moves were welcomed by the National Union of Teachers.

The union's head of education, John Bangs, said: "We are delighted that the government has extended the legal right for a teacher to have the right to discipline.

"We can see the argument for all support staff who have contact with children to have that right.

"We are going to work very closely with the government to make sure every teacher has the right to discipline and that there are no unforeseen consequences."

Ms Smith also revealed that 289 schools across 21 local authority areas will be taking part of a new behaviour initiative in January.

Groups of schools - 39 to begin with - have got together to set up special units where disruptive pupils can be taught away from other children. - publicado em 19 -12-2005 no jornal "The Guardian"