Balls: Teachers can use force to keep pupils safe

Unruly pupils who seriously disrupt lessons and school activities or refuse to leave class should be controlled by force, new Government guidance for teachers suggests.

It says schools do not need parents' consent to physically control and restrain youngsters who are seriously misbehaving.

Guidance published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) on Monday sets out for teachers when they can reasonably physically intervene to stop bad behaviour.

It says teachers can act when pupils are fighting and could hurt each other; a pupil attacks a teacher or another student; if a pupil deliberately damages property; continually refuses to follow instructions to leave a class; or seriously disrupts a lesson or school activity - like sports day or a class trip.

It also says teachers can restrain youngsters who are hurting, or at risk of hurting, someone by accident, or if a pupil absconds from class, or detention - if that would put the pupil in danger or disrupt classes.

Childrens' Secretary Ed Balls published the guide at the NASUWT's annual conference in Birmingham. He said the idea that schools should have "no contact" policies with pupils was simply a myth.