To think disruptive behaviour in schools is out of hand?

There has been a monumental shift over the last 5 or so years in parents attitudes from supporting the school to adopting what is often a combative stance of how dare you treat my child in that way. It is an almost impossible battle for teachers because the continuity isn't there. There is a culture of seeking to apportion blame for poor behaviour anywhere except with the perpetrator of it. None of this is helping anybody.

Parents of children at private schools want to receive a quality service for the money they pay, so are generally more engaged with education generally and demand a higher standard from the school which drives quick and efficient action.

So you deem a good school one that lets down the teacher and 95% of the class to pander to 5% of kids who want to be free to mess around?

I beg to differ.

If they have a job they won't be a NEET.

My dc is also in private schools and we don’t have much of this. The slightest bullying or bad behaviour is taken very seriously. It’s also a common feeling amongst the parents that you don’t want to be a parent of a problem child so everyone takes good responsibility for ensuring their child behaves, none of this ‘my child wouldn’t do that’ attitude.

One thing is underachieving (due to learning difficulties, or simply not being academic) and another is dicking about in the classroom, making the teacher's life a misery and stopping others from learning.

So you are saying your DCs school has failed lots of children? I'm not sure that would be my definition of a good school.

Great for the lucky DC that manage to get through life without any major life events or struggles. But you can bet that if your DC goes through any kind of trauma the way your school deals with your DC may well ruin the rest of their life.

I hate it. I have a well behaved, respectful, academic child who’d last twenty minutes there. DC is autistic, anxious and would never cope there in a million years. I also hate this bizarre need to treat every 11-16 year old as some sort of wannabe delinquent who can only be controlled in a tightly controlled and prison like environment no adult would ever be expected to tolerate.

If it works for other people then good for them. My own DC will go to Michaela or equivalent over my dead body.

You need to remember that private schools can discriminate against disabled children. If we included all of the children that private schools have failed (without even taking into account all the DC they refused entry to) they wouldn't look so great. Mainstream schools often have to mop up those DC and they are included in mainstream schools statistics. If we want schools to thrive, the Government needs to provide more funding for support with SEN and funding for schools in general.

Agree. The amount of kids who mess around at school because learning isn’t cool, only to regret that very shortly after.

Have you ever spoken to staff at PRUs? Many find the job thoroughly satisfying. The kids aren’t under any pressure to get results. Academic expectations are low and many of them actually start to enjoy school. And the teachers start to enjoy teaching them too.

We have enough NEETs as it is. Do we need more?

It’s not just leaning that is lost, kids are becoming traumatised. Could you imagine sitting in a classroom wondering when a violent meltdown is about to happen? And they wonder why anxiety is through the roof.

But as ever the only person who is ever considered in this is the child who has the meltdown, not the other children or the teacher. Where are their rights?

This is among the silliest suggestions I have seen on MN. Good luck with attracting staff to work in the school's full of disruptors.

@Papyrophile yes if a 14 year old leaves they should perhaps have the option of going back to do their missing years later on for free (up to the age of say 25).

yanbu it’s harder now to avoid. Really sad for dc

I agree that leaving school at 14 should be permitted, provided tests in Maths and English are passed. BUT a solid route back into education would be needed for all those who realised that they needed further training/education and FE has been hacked back ruthlessly.

My friends sons p4, mainstream, classroom (Scotland) gets evacuated at least once a week because 1 same child in the class has violent meltdowns .Wtaf!!
The other 24 kids in the class are losing so much learning time and its not fair.

I don't think state school heads just shrug their shoulders... They can't do anything about it because legally every child has a right to an education. It's the system that's broken.

Nothing to do with underachieving.

My dc school has a zero tolerance for pratting round now. So many kids are shown the door. I see it as a good thing. If they're not prepared to behave then the school isn't prepared for them to disrupt the pupils that do.

@potato08 blimey.... someone agrees with me 😂
I don't normally get that.

This makes me very sad. So unfair.

^ this

Controversial but.....
Lower the leaving age back down to 14.
End of Year 9 take a Leaving Exam in "everyday" English Language and Maths.
If you can pass it - you can leave and get a job.
The ones that mess around are often bored and "over" school.
Release them out into the world.