27th May 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Concerns have been raised about the way in which schools treat students who misbehave. The Children’s Commissioner Keith Towler has said that schools and councils often see classes for difficult students as dumping grounds, and have little concern over the quality of the education offered. The commissioner said that this applied both to classes within mainstream schools, and pupil referral units which take students who have been expelled from mainstream education. He said that PRUs were an afterthought on the part of local authorities, and that the quality of the education on offer varied considerably.
There are now calls for the purpose of PRUs to be clarified, and for steps to be taken to ensure that troubled students are receiving the same quality of education as their peers. The commissioner noted that two thirds of students at PRUs are boys, and most suffer some form of emotional, personal or behavioural problem. Students who attend PRUs are labelled the worst of the education system, and as such cannot attract the teachers or funds that they required in order to flourish. Staff recruitment is a particular problem, in addition to finding the necessary resources for students.
The commissioner has pointed to PRUs who have been able to foster a nurturing and positive educational environment, and said that it is vital that other PRUs are given the resources they require in order to flourish in a similar fashion. He also highlighted recent stories which have emerged from this part of the education sector, which detail troubled students being locked up at school for hours. He called for a zero-tolerance approach to the mistreatment of students at PRUs and advocated an approach which supports students with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The ultimate aim, he said, was for PRUs to offer the same quality of education as mainstream schools, and to help students back into mainstream education where possible. New guidance is to be produced later in the year which will help define the provision and purpose of PRUs.