About 20 pupils each week are suspended from schools across Shropshire for attacking a teacher or another student, new figures have revealed.

In 2007/08, some 440 pupils were given a fixed term exclusion for assault in Telford & Wrekin, equating to 12 a week. Across the rest of the county, 350 were thrown out of school for a period of time.

That is about nine suspensions each week.

Nationally, about 2,350 youngsters are shown the yellow card each week, according to the data researched and released by the Tories.

Shadow schools minister Michael Gove said teachers needed more powers to deal with unruly pupils.

He said: “The number of suspensions from school is truly shocking.

“It’s simply not acceptable that teachers have to put up with bad behaviour when they’re trying to teach.

“A Conservative government will give every child the kind of education that is currently only available to the well-off: safe classrooms, talented and specialist teachers, access to the best curriculum and exams, and smaller schools where teachers know the children’s names,” he added.

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said headteachers had the powers to deal with the problem and figures showed they were working and improving discipline in schools.

“Violence towards anyone, especially a teacher or other member of staff, is completely unacceptable and the Government strongly back heads in permanently excluding pupils, even for a first offence,” he said.

“No member of staff should have their authority questioned or feel threatened by a pupil.”

By London reporter Sunita Patel