§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to increase the powers of teachers to deal with discipline in schools. [50923]
§ Mr. Ivan LewisFollowing a public consultation, in March this year the Secretary of State announced plans to extend the availability of Parenting Orders to cover cases of non-criminal misbehaviour by pupils resulting in exclusions from school. We understand that the Home Office will issue a Criminal Justice White Paper in the late spring 2002 which will refer to the plans to extend Parenting Orders, probably by means of a Criminal Justice Bill in due course. Parenting Orders normally require parents to attend counselling or guidance sessions to help them cope better with their child's challenging behaviour and take more responsibility for that behaviour.
The Department has already made clear that when necessary Headteachers can permanently exclude pupils responsible for serious disruption, violence or a threat of violence. We recently consulted on a revision to part of Circular 10–99 'Social Inclusion: Pupil Support'. This stated that the Secretary of State would not normally 307W expect to see pupils excluded permanently for persistent defiant behaviour—which includes bullying, violence or sexual misconduct—reinstated at appeal.