With the global economic downturn affecting every industry on the planet, who thought that the Education sector would be the only ones to escape unscathed? Telegraph ‘Recession ‘will lead to rise in school expulsions’, say teachers’.
Teachers are expressing fears that more children will be expelled from school as the recession leads to more arguments in the home, resulting to a rise in the number of young people being sent to education “sin bins” set up to manage problem pupils.
The comments comes amid claims that so-called pupil referral units are being used as a “dumping ground” for children that ordinary schools refuse to teach - fearing they will drag down their league table ranking.
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) called for more investment in PRUs. They also backed strike action to block the privatisation of units following the publication of a Government white paper proposing to turn some over to profit-making companies.
Andy Pryor, an activist from North Somerset, told the union’s annual conference that units were coming under increasing pressure because of the recession.
“We know that as we descend into the most recent economic downturn the number of families, particular working class families, coping with stress and hardship will increase and so therefore will the numbers of young people in crisis,” he said. “This is likely to lead to increased referrals to pupil referral units.”
About 135,000 pupils pass through PRUs every year after being excluded from mainstream schools. Is this the correct way to handle this situation? Have your say.