IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2 September 2003
Commenting on the Governments package ofreforms to be announced tomorrow on pupil behaviour, Doug McAvoy, NUT GeneralSecretary, said:
Unacceptable pupil behaviour is often thedifference between teachers staying or leaving the profession and childrenlearning or switching off.
The 75m funding for local educationauthorities is a welcome recognition of this fact.
Prescription on how to use this moneywould be a mistake.
The last thing teachers need is extraworkload arising from this initiative. Teachers professional judgement should determine what is effective inensuring pupil discipline.
The Government must also ask itself howits initiative will fit with the budget crisis facing thousands of schoolsround the country. The crisis means it will be difficult for schools to releaseteachers for this training and to take on additional responsibilities.
Any package on behaviour management mustensure that each education authority makes available to schools a wide range ofsupport including special schools and withdrawal units. If a school can nolonger cope with a particular pupil, there must be somewhere for that pupil togo.
There also needs to be means ofencouraging parents to accept responsibility for their childrens behaviour.Parents must work with schools but many need help in doing so.
EN D PR.64/03
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