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Let teachers restrain pupils physically

By Alan W Collins on Wednesday 9th April 2008 19:27 / 11 comments

So the latest idea emerging from the Conservative Party is, according to the Daily Telegraph, to encourage teachers “to restrain disruptive pupils physically”.

David Cameron, the Leader of the Conservative Party, has said that he would advocate “grabbing” pupils who were misbehaving, changing the law in an attempt to improve behaviour in classrooms. Mr Cameron stressed, though, that he did not wish to bring back corporal punishment:

It’s about giving schools the power to control discipline, to bring order to the classroom and giving them the independence to do that as strong, independent institutions. We have got into a situation where we are treating children like adults and treating adults like children. I think we do need a restoration of common-sense. That means a lot of these no-touching policies have got to go. But, you do need quite strict controls, you do need rules.

Apparently, Jim Knight, the Labour School’s Minister hit back in defence of the current situation:

David Cameron’s plans are unfunded, unworkable and would make the problem worse.

If that is what counts as a defence these days then the Labour Party have serious issues to deal with. Their schools minister has admitted that there is a “problem” and has called the plans “unfunded” and “unworkable” with zero evidence to back up their claims.

I lieu of this, let me put this idea forward: standards of discipline in schools has fallen dramatically in recent years. Why? Because pupils (particularly older pupils) know that there is only so much power at the teacher’s disposal, and if teacher oversteps the mark and even slightly touches them it’s “bye bye” career.

That’s not an unfounded claim, by the way, Mr Knight. It’s first-hand experience. I’ve seen it at school and I’ve seen it at Cadets and it is absolutely ridiculous! Teachers and other youth workers should not live in constant fear that if they should try and apply common sense and attempt to enforce discipline they will disgracefully lose their job.

“There are more than 140,000 pupils suspended each year from secondary schools for persistent disruption”. That’s more than 140,000 pupils whose education is interrupted each year because the only tool at teacher’s disposal is to kick them out of classes.

“Teachers complain regularly that they cannot enforce detentions and other punishments because children simply leave the room”. The simple answer to which is to grab the pupil and keep him in the detention, not kick him out of lessons and interrupt his lessons.

The Conservatives aren’t suggesting going back to the dark days of canes and rulers on knuckles, they are advocating a common sense approach to discipline. A common sense approach I fully support.

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11 Comments

Former Councillor John Ward says:

Thursday 10th April 2008 at 13:35

I have the advantage of coming from a period when schools did have real discipline, and were vastly (not slightly — vastly) better for it.

Young folk cannot be expected to learn decent behaviour if there is no incentive to do so. A few of us (perhaps more than a few, I’d like to think) were and are naturally inclined toward good and decent behaviour because it genuinely is in our nature — but it is unrealistic to assume or pretend that this is universal.

Indeed, standards of behaviour in recent years show very clearly that it is not the norm. In my day we had the odd Chadwick (to name the only one in my class to be an obvious “no-gooder”) and a few bullies (Pardoe, Holloway, Peasgood) but they were very much in the minority and were under generally good control. These days they’d run riot with no effective restrictions.

Our days, for all their faults, were vastly superior to today’s laissez-faire culture, and a lot more productive and successful too. We took genuine GCEs, not watered-down GCSEs or the new lower-quality A-levels that are being reported nowadays. That was true education, relevant and respected, unlike much of what is being imposed from Westminster today.
Tony - Beatbullying says:

Thursday 10th April 2008 at 16:55

While it’s pleasing that both parties are trying to tackle behaviour in schools and address the problems facing our young people, I can’t help but think that some of their strategies won’t be as effective as they claim.

The Tories main proposals include boosting powers of exclusion and giving teachers more power in dealing with violent and disruptive pupils, pressing for an end to the ‘no touch’ policy. Some of the obvious flaws in the proposals have already been outlined in the Independent.

Yes, we need to improve levels of behaviour and discipline within schools, but it seems to me like this is all ‘stick’ and no ‘carrot’ for pupils. Young people behave well in environments where they are valued, where they can contribute, and where they can progress. Not surprisingly, these are also the environments where they will respect others. I doubt that many pupils will find this environment within the Tories plans. Will they make teachers feel happier? Yes. Teachers can forcefully restrain pupils, can take away possessions without reason, and can turf them out of education if they don’t like it. Will the fear of being restrained and expelled without appeal improve pupil behaviour? There’s no substantial evidence to say so.

Now, there is an argument that the cadet environment is precisely one where young people can contribute, be valued, and respect each other. Yes, but only for a small minority of young people. In relation to the 35,000 young people Beatbullying has worked with directly over the last few years, only a very small percentage would react well to a bootcamp environment. For all those who do not enjoy physical activity or games, the prospect of a cadet lifestyle is unlikely to have a beneficial effect on their behaviour.

Furthermore, you can’t help but be a little worried about the prospect that bullies will migrate towards this system, and the allure of power that they will be in a position to exert over their junior officers. Perish the thought that we might even be putting bullies in uniform and putting them in a position to abuse any authority. Without substantial evidence, beyond the anecdotal, that cadet forces significantly improve behaviour among its recruits, then you’d have to wonder whether this is the best system of anti-conflict education.

Yes, we need to improve levels of discipline and respect, and encourage youth participation in activity, but let’s not limit this within an army environment. Perhaps what would be a better, more mixed and more inclusive, policy response in the way we tackle behavioural problems in schools, is the roll out of mentoring schemes in both schools and communities.

We know that mentoring schemes work – they reduce bullying, they improve behaviour, increase attainment, increase attendance. Unlike the cadet force proposal, they are all inclusive – sporty kids mentor sporty kids, young people who like music can find a mentor they can relate to, and so on. And unlike the Tories plan, mentoring proposals actually take into consideration the position of young people. They are monitored by adults, and their results undoubtedly make life easier for teachers, yet young people are at the heart of them, and unlike the Tories proposals, young people benefit too.
Rob says:

Thursday 10th April 2008 at 22:36

Personally, I think parents are to partly to blame. The amount of times you see parents swear at their children or excerise no control of them is far more prevalent than it used to be. Where else are they going to learn discipline if no in their own home?

While I agree with “carrot not stick”, I find it grossly unfair that some children who misbehave get benefits that children who behave don’t get.

But I agree with Alan, in that some pupils feel they can “get away with it”.
Former Councillor John Ward says:

Friday 11th April 2008 at 14:16

I’m sure that Tony has a lot of valid argument in his comment above; but I still find it strange that we didn’t need all this “mentoring” etc in my day and yet we had a far better standard of behaviour then than we appear to have no, by all accounts.

Although times change, this is fairly basic conduct stuff and there is very little difference in this respect between then and now. Instead of over-emphasizing these extraneous initiatives as a substitute, we should first and foremost put the correct disciplinary procedures into place as a foundation. Anything beyond that can be nuolt upon that solid base, rather than being yet another of those numerous headline-grabbing “ideas of the month” that we have seen over the past decade.

Build on a solid foundation, not on a shaky or non-existent one, or it will never really achieve much except at the fringes.
Former Councillor John Ward says:

Friday 11th April 2008 at 14:24

Now that I’ve just watched the Helen Newlove video, I would put my previous comment even more strongly. Anything reasonable that is necessary to stamp out the “yob culture” in all its forms and in all the places it appears — including in schools — needs to be put in place.

The old saying of “Spare the rod, spoil the child” applies at least as much today as it ever has in the past, so before worrying about the icing on the cake, get the cake itself baked first.
oldandrew says:

Saturday 12th April 2008 at 06:37

It is interesting that the Government saw the Tory proposals as impractical rather than unnecessary. They are right to point out flaws with them. Abolishing appeals will probably just see a rise in legal challenges. Making the money follow the pupils is incompatible with removing the financial consequences of exclusion.

That said it is good to see that they are recommending exclusions, but unfortunate that there are no funded proposals for providing provision for excluded pupils. This suggests that they might just plan to dump the excluded pupils on the local sink school.

Oh, and by the way, teachers aren’t calling out for more powers to restrain pupils, legally we already have enough powers. What we need is an end to the recriminations from parents and senior management when we do restrain them. That doesn’t take a change in law that takes a change in culture. Discipline will only improve when the heads who take the pupils’ side are forced to leave the profession. I can’t see any party leader willing to say that.

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Teaching Blog at: http://oldandrew.edublogs.org
Latest entry: 6/4/2008
Rob says:

Saturday 12th April 2008 at 23:56

Yes, OldAndrew, you’re right, teachers do have some powers, but perhaps they are afraid to use them due to the rollocking they may get from parents (or retaliation from students?!?).

I wonder if all teachers are fully aware of the powers they have.

I agree with your last paragraph!
John Ward says:

Sunday 13th April 2008 at 17:23

The question of teachers’ powers and how the system works is perhaps not quite as clear-cut as is being suggested here.

I find Snuffy‘s real-life anecdotes of an inner-city school in London invaluable in learning about how the present system works on the ground. Well worth reading a few posts from there…
Rob says:

Sunday 13th April 2008 at 23:55

Snuffy?
John Ward says:

Monday 14th April 2008 at 11:59

Just follow the link…
Rob says:

Monday 14th April 2008 at 20:28

Ah, I didn’t see the link. Makes sense now!