The education secretary has said he would consider giving headteachers new powers to combat the carrying of knives in schools.

In a wide-ranging speech on Thursday, Charles Clarke detailed new plans to combat unruly behaviour in the classroom.

"Headteachers face many tough challenges, and I want to ensure that every head has the means to tackle bad behaviour and raise standards in our schools," he said.

"Most pupils never carry knives, either in or out of school. But there are a few who ignore the fact that it is against the law to have a knife in school. This is unacceptable, and no school should tolerate it."