Headlines: November 19th, 2010

The schools white paper later this month will put heads and teachers back in control, giving them a range of tough new powers to deal with bullies and the most disruptive pupils. Heads will be able to take a zero-tolerance approach and will have the final say, both in and outside of school.

Despite measures taken in the past and a succession of anti bullying campaigns, around half of all children say they’ve been bullied at school and had their lives blighted by fear. Young people also encounter bullying outside school.

The White Paper will present tougher measures to tackle victimisation whether it’s in or out of school, or on their mobile phones, or on social networking sites like Facebook. It will set out clear principles to ensure that young people can go to school without dreading the treatment they will get. It will provide that when a bullied child is brave enough to speak out, they will be supported.

Teachers will be given the right to remove disruptive children from the classroom without fear of legal action. They will be able to search pupils for weapons, and items like iPods and mobile phones, and confiscate them. Schools will have revised guidance to make sure they know how to tackle bullying effectively.