Scrap school exclusions, thinktank demands
By politics.co.uk staff
Failing pupils should no longer be excluded from school, according to the thinktank Demos.
Its latest report calls for action to be taken because educational disengagement frequently leads to individuals joining those aged 16 to 18 who are not engaged in education, employment or training (Neets).
The report, Ex Curricula, argues the formal concept of exclusion should be abolished because it allows headteachers to ‘wash their hands’ of responsibility.
“A school should be able to buy in alternative provision for children for whom it is deemed appropriate as an early intervention strategy to improve behaviour – or as a way of dealing with poor behaviour,” it argues.
“But there should be no permanent ‘exclusion’ in the sense of a child leaving a school roll. Heads should remain accountable for children – until they move to a new school.”
The report’s authors, Sonia Sodha and Julia Margo, suggest this would encourage heads to buy in the best possible provision for children in conjunction with the local authority.
The report identifies a lack of spending on prevention and early interventions, together with a lack of spending on evidence-based practice, as being responsible for the high levels of educational disengagement currently making one in seven 16- to 18-year-olds Neets.
“Waiting until a young person is Neet to address the problem does both them and society a huge disservice,” it adds.
Among its other recommendations are proposals to improve teacher training, increase schools’ early intervention funding and improve accountability for alternative provision.
