Teachers can use physical restraint, says Ed Balls

5-4-2010

Teachers can use physical restraint, says Ed Balls

Schools should not insist on a no-contact policy – physical force can be used to stop disruptive behaviour

Teachers must not be afraid to use physical force to break up playground fights and should march disruptive pupils out of the classroom, the schools secretary said today.

At least one member of staff in every school should have expert training in restraint techniques, according to new government guidance.

Teachers have said they fear legal action from parents if they try to control badly behaved students physically, and say children have told them: "You can't touch me or my mum will sue you."

But Balls said it was a myth that schools had to insist on "no contact" with pupils, and staff should not face retribution if they intervened when children were out of control.

"A no-contact policy is not required by law, and is not good leadership," he told the annual conference of the Nasuwt teachers' union.

When pupils were fighting and could hurt each other, deliberately damaging property, refusing to follow instructions to leave a class, or seriously disrupting a lesson or school activity such as a sports day, it was acceptable to use force – as a protective measure, not a disciplinary penalty.

Balls, who received a standing ovation from some delegates in Birmingham, warned that schools will be forced to bear the brunt of government spending cuts if the Tories win power at the general election, claiming a Conservative government would be forced to cut teacher numbers and raise class sizes.

Funding their promises to let parents set up their own schools and introduce a pupil premium would come from budget cuts to existing schools, he insisted, and it was "dishonest" of them not to say so.

"The only way to make the Conservative sums add up is by swingeing cuts to public services, or raising VAT, soon after the election," Balls said. The Tory plans meant "sacrificing some children's education to deliver excellence for a few children down the road", he added.

"I don't want only some parents to get the school they want, I want every parent to have a good school for their child to go to.

"It's so dishonest for the Conservatives to pretend to be Santa Claus without being clear that this will be paid for by cuts to school budgets."

On using restraint, he said: "Teachers have the powers they need to manage bad behaviour, but I am aware that many fear retribution if they were to forcibly remove an unruly pupil.

"This new guidance … makes clear that in some situations, teachers have the powers and protection to use force."

The guidance points out that in some cases, for instance if the disruptive pupil is particularly large, teachers should call for help before trying to tackle the troublemaker.

Balls also told journalists he regretted not moving more quickly to reform the social work profession, having seen teaching transformed.

"Many of the things you hear about social work – about demoralisation on the front line, the gap in understanding between management and professionals, having to leave frontline practice to be promoted … those are many of the things that characterised the teaching profession of 20 years ago," he said. (Guardian)