HC Deb 07 March 2000 vol 345 cc573-4W
Mr. Woodward

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many permanent school exclusions there were in each year since 1990(a) in total and (b) of pupils of ethnic minority origin. [113497]

Jacqui Smith

The number of permanent exclusions from maintained schools (except Special Schools) submitting returns under the voluntary National Exclusions Reporting System which covered the period from April 1990 to April 1992 was 2,910 in year one and 3,833 in year two.

The first set of complete data systematically collected by the Department on permanent exclusions by ethnic minority from maintained schools in England related to the school year 1995–96. The latest available data relate to the school year 1997–98. These figures, which are not directly comparable with those derived from the National Exclusions Reporting System, are shown in the table.

Information on permanent exclusions for the academic year 1998–99 is currently being collected and national estimates are expected to be published in a Statistical First Release in May.

Numbers of permanent exclusions, including pupils of ethnic minority origin in schools1 in England 1995–96–1997–98
Number of permanent exclusions2 Number of ethnic minority permanent exclusions
1997–98 12,298 1,995
1996–97 12,668 2,113
1995–96 12,476 2,196
1 Includes Maintained Primary, Secondary, Special and Non-maintained Special Schools.
2 Includes some pupils who were unclassified according to ethnic group.

Source:

January schools' census