Poll: Is Michael Gove right to press for a return to traditional classroom discipline?
Misbehaving pupils face the prospect of being told to pick up litter or write out lines under plans by Education Secretary Michael Gove for a return to traditional classroom discipline. What do you think?
New guidelines for teachers, to be issued this week, will say that "tough but proportionate" punishments such as writing lines numerous times "are just as crucial to an effective education as praising and rewarding good behaviour", the Department for Education (DfE) said.
Penalties could include picking up litter in the playgrounds, weeding, tidying classrooms and removing graffiti. Pupils could also be ordered to report to school early, clean dining halls or forfeit privileges such as joining in a non-uniform day.
Mr Gove, who has long railed against "trendy" teaching methods, said he wanted to send a message to teachers that they should not be afraid to "get tough" on bad behaviour in school.
"I think it is absolutely right to say to students that if they have in some way undermined discipline or contributed to the deterioration of the fabric of a school building that they should be responsible for clearing up after school lunch, clearing up litter or weeding the school playing field," he said.
"People need to understand there are consequences if they break those rules and teachers have the power to enforce them."
Mr Gove also indicated that in the longer term he favoured moving to a longer school day – a move opposed by 72 per cent of Shropshire Star readers in a recent poll.
But he rejected the idea of shorter school holidays recently put forward by a former No 10 adviser. "I do think that we do need to have a longer school day. I don't believe that this should be mandated like that from the centre right now," he said.
"I think the critical thing that we need to do is to work with the profession in order to ensure that we can provide the extra curricula activities at the beginning and the end of the day and at lunchtime that students get in private fee-paying schools."
The latest guidelines were dismissed as a "cheap attempt at headline grabbing" by Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union.
Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "It has to be remembered that the majority of our schools have good levels of behaviour and many of the deterrents mentioned, such as litter detention, will already be used in many schools."
Star comment: Let heads get on with their work
