§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many pupils were(a) suspended and (b) expelled in each financial year since 1979–80 in each education authority in Scotland. [25336]
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe information sought is not at present held centrally. However, following a circular issued by the Scottish Office Education Department last year, education authorities are to collect and provide information on exclusions on a school-by-school basis with effect from the current school session as part of the annual exercise to collect statistics on attendance and absence.
Returns provided in 1993 by education authorities for a working group, comprising representatives from the Scottish Office and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, indicated that there were around 25,000 exclusions from school in total during the school year 1992–93.