do you think exclusion works?

[JLH]

What are your thoughts on school exclusions? Do you think they work? I know a boy who has been excluded so many times for anger issues and he has missed so much GCSE work yet he continues to be badly behaved . He has anger issues mixed in with family issues and I wonder if instead of just barring him from the school maybe giving him more help plus if he's distracting others putting him in impact room. When we see him he is always so quiet and polite but he can lose his temper so quickly,afterwards he gets really upset that he couldn't control his temper and instantly apologises. However as a parent myself I guess I wouldn't want someone disrupting my son's education and can see why exclusion is a preferred option. I just wish he could see someone about his issues before he does something really silly and ruins his life.

[not2old4disney]

I don't think there is any right or wrong answer here as it depends on the individual circumstances. It's definitely a tough one though!

There was a pupil excluded from my eldest son's class in primary 7 - he had only joined the class a few months before due to being excluded from 2 schools previously I believe - however, he threatened another pupil with a knife. It was a very serious incident that also had the police involved so i'm not sure what else the result could have been. As a parent of a child in that class I know I wouldn't have felt comfortable had he been allowed to remain.

[holidaysaver75]

I don't think exclusions work for the kids who are excluded but I think they can be necessary for the other kids affected by the behaviour. What saddens me is the lack of support availed to address the underlying issues that have led an individual to behave that way. I don't blame schools for this (I'm a teacher and a Head of Year so I know how hard staff often try to help pupils with behavioural issues) - the problem's far more deep-rooted in politics, policy, tragedies or social injustices.

[Princesa]

Students don’t get excluded for minor things, so he must be doing something pretty bad to get repeatedly excluded. Its also a deterrent to other students, schools have to be black and white about things and stick to their policy. If other students see bad behaviour getting small punishments then it’s hard to keep control.

[duchy]

My feeling is exclusion units (isolation)within schools work much better.
The kids are still in school , get one to one teaching , aren't allowed to chat, breaks and lunches are offset so they miss out of the social aspects but don't get to disrupt classes etc.
It often gives teachers a better chance to observe what makes them tick which can be helpful.
They tend to get on with the work because there's nothing else to do (and no mates to distract them or take the Micky if they work).

Compared with "time off" at home ... I think it's a far more helpful option and can really help.
I've done cover in one and had friends who worked in them full time

[joanna23]

Originally Posted by holidaysaver75

I don't think exclusions work for the kids who are excluded but I think they can be necessary for the other kids affected by the behaviour. What saddens me is the lack of support availed to address the underlying issues that have led an individual to behave that way. I don't blame schools for this (I'm a teacher and a Head of Year so I know how hard staff often try to help pupils with behavioural issues) - the problem's far more deep-rooted in politics, policy, tragedies or social injustices.

See more...

Exactly the same view as I have (we share a career background).

I also think there’s some important messages that need to be passed on about dealing with life in the adult world. I can understand what you mean about their apparent failure to learn from mistakes but this may be a lesson they only realise when they mature enough. Often the physical and verbal abuse that results in exclusion could be a criminal matter in the real world. At a lower level if they were to handle themselves so poorly in stressful situations eg. Hospital admissions, night out they may either cause serious harm to some one else or risk being refused treatment etc.

[MinniMouse]

Originally Posted by JLH

What are your thoughts on school exclusions? Do you think they work? I know a boy who has been excluded so many times for anger issues and he has missed so much GCSE work yet he continues to be badly behaved . He has anger issues mixed in with family issues and I wonder if instead of just barring him from the school maybe giving him more help plus if he's distracting others putting him in impact room. When we see him he is always so quiet and polite but he can lose his temper so quickly,afterwards he gets really upset that he couldn't control his temper and instantly apologises. However as a parent myself I guess I wouldn't want someone disrupting my son's education and can see why exclusion is a preferred option. I just wish he could see someone about his issues before he does something really silly and ruins his life.

See more...

This is a tough one. When youngest DS went to secondary school he was put in one of two classes (there were 8 classes in 1st year) that had children/teens with a mix of difficulties. There was also kids with no problems, however there were only 2 "helpers" so one in each class. Boy it was awful. Some of the kids who were very badly behaved really disrupted the class. This was verbal and physical. Police were involved with one in particular. DS's education suffered because of this. Several parents complained early on and got their kids moved into other classes but by the time DH and I had a meeting there was only one option and this would have involved him changing languages half way through the year. In hindsight we should have moved him as he never got the basic on maths. That and the fact the maths teacher he got was a terrible teacher, he was not allowed to teach higher maths. Anyway, not an easy one. Just telling the story from the other side.

[Twin mummy]

In my experience it’s one of a large number of strategies and should be used sparingly and in the last resort.
It’s tough as there are finite resources and things like internal exclusion, one to one support etc take resources away from the majority.
School (especially the focus on academic exams) doesn’t suit everyone and it’s a fine balancing act between helping/supporting troubled individuals and providing a learning environment where others can learn.

[smithlane]

My kids school (secondary) have an external exclusion unit aka 'the box'! Students who would be suspended go in there for all their lessons and only let out for break and lunch which are at different times to the rest of the school. The length of time in there depends on what was done but can range from a day up to a month. Apparently works much better than sending the children home as like the head teacher says they'll just be watching the tv or playing computer games so hardly a punishment!
I do feel that for certain kids there are deep rooted issues resulting in their behaviour and no matter how many times you exclude them nothing will change. Seems that main stream education isn't the answer but its not that easy to just move them

[Omega1]

I have worked in education for over 40 years and exclusion is a bit of a hobby-horse, so I’m sorry if this seems like a rant! The Local Authority that we live in is one of the highest excluders in the country, but Ofsted reports indicate that behaviour in schools is good in general. It’s odd that schools in other Local Authorities seem to be able to manage children and young people's behaviour better than our schools.
Are they better equipped, staff better trained, the LA offer more support - or are staff more inclusive and recognise that children at risk of exclusion are the most vulnerable: twice as likely to be in care, four times more likely to have grown-up in poverty, seven times more likely to have a special educational need, and 10 times more likely to suffer recognised mental health problems - according to the government. Excluded young people are more likely to be unemployed, develop severe mental health problems and go to prison. So, is it really a laudable strategy to chuck kids out? Ultimately, it's a very expensive strategy both in monetary terms, lost potential and wrecked lives. As for excluding those with special needs - that's simply criminal and should be outlawed immediately.
There is no evidence that exclusion actually improves behaviour but certainly puts young people at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour crime. There are many schools, in tough areas, that are safe, where pupils behave themselves and have low or no exclusions - we need to learn from the best. Just my opinion.