Rise in number of four-years-old excluded from East Yorkshire schools for hitting staff
FOUR-year-old children are being sent home from schools across East Yorkshire for stealing and hitting staff.
In the past two years, there have been 63 instances of four and five-year-olds given fixed- term exclusions in East Yorkshire schools.
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Unions say the increase in fixed-term exclusions reflect a lack of social awareness among some children. Picture posed by models
These have been for physically assaulting staff, verbal abuse, stealing and being disruptive.
The highest number of suspensions are for physically assaulting adults.
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The figures have risen 76 per cent in the East Riding in the past five years and 31 per cent in Hull.
Unions blame a lack of social awareness among children, some of whom, they say, no longer know right from wrong.
Ian Richardson, East Riding branch secretary for the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: "The interaction that used to come through common play is fractured.
"It is not uncommon for children of this age to be playing on their DS, Xbox or PlayStation3.
"Parents and carers have a responsibility to minimise that and to get children playing, talking and interacting.
"If children are interacting, they will become more socially aware and will understand that violence and abuse is not acceptable."
Mr Richardson said the NUT was so concerned, members had raised the issue at the annual conference.
He said: "It is a very negative situation which reflects problems in society. Children are living in difficult circumstances, in fractured homes.
"Sadly, when a child goes off the rails, it is a spontaneous reaction to blame the school or parents but this is a society issue which needs to be addressed."
The statistics show more instances of children being suspended are in the East Riding, with 19 last year compared with ten in Hull and 18 the year before, compared with seven in Hull.
Fixed-term exclusion could mean half a day, a whole day or just not being on the school site during a lunchtime period.
Angela Harper, chairman of East Riding primary school behaviour and attendance partnership, and an East Riding primary school head, said: "Exclusion is only used after many other sanctions have been used, or where adults or pupils have been physically assaulted and the severity of the incident merits this sanction.
"Sanctions work alongside help and support to ensure improvements in behaviour and positive outcomes."
Dr Jackie Lown, principal educational psychologist at East Riding Council, said the suspensions represented a tiny number. She said: "Primary schools ensure there are robust procedures in place to support children at risk of being excluded. These preventative and responsive measures enable schools to support the very small number of four and five year olds who sometimes find it difficult to behave in the way we would wish."
Comments
by smartguy1
Monday, December 10 2012, 8:16PM
“Bad child = bad parent. Children are a credit to their parents. The other day I went to my friend's friend's house and she has a little boy who is four and a half. He asked for a sweet out of the bowl by saying 'Mummy, please may I have a sweet"" My wife and I smiled to each and both remarked on his manners. A credit to his mum and she is a one parent family so no excuses for dads not being around.”
by CarmellaBrown
Monday, December 10 2012, 6:41PM
“It is because children dont have parents who stay at home to love them and look after them properly, it is not always the parents faults because if you want to live in a nice house both of them or if there is only one they have to work all the time because the way this terrible country is set up.”
by Demonica666
Monday, December 10 2012, 6:31PM
“The longer I live, the more evident it becomes that anyone wanting children should be assessed for intelligence, sense and decency. More checks are carried out on those adopting a goldfish from the RSPCA than are carried out on prospective parents. What is refreshing though, is the dearth of postings on here berrating teachers. Their hands are tied. This situation did not occur by leftie dogooders alone, but in the main, by parents who believe that their little dahlings are perfect and above punishment and then threaten legal action against anyone stating otherwise.”
by David_Nivea
Monday, December 10 2012, 5:23PM
“"Parents and carers have a responsibility to minimise that and to get children playing, talking and interacting."
Why do people need to be told this?
Anyone who does should be sterilised.
Instead, it becomes the responsiblity [a outmoded concept, I know!] of eveyrone else to bring up their brats.”
by jezhull
Monday, December 10 2012, 5:01PM
“These kind of problems IMO always stem from problems at home in very disruptive families.
These poor kids have no decent role models in their lives, many coming from generations of families that have never worked, totally lacking in ambition, and have no self respect at all.
It's no wonder these kids turn out like this.”
by SantiagoSam
Monday, December 10 2012, 3:08PM
“Great HDM picture. Young lad,sat with arms firmly folded, with the young lass scowling for England. Great teamwork. 9/10.”
by GlennQuagmire
Monday, December 10 2012, 2:03PM
“In the future, children will only be allowed outside in reinforced protective bubbles as every third person will be a *****.”
by 23041642
Monday, December 10 2012, 1:52PM
“Learning right from wrong, sharing and learning through play and friensdhip, being polite and understanding boundaries should be the daily fodder for four year olds regardless of culture. At four, whatever their first language, children are very responsive to learning English... which is what they should be learning to speak in a UK school.
As someone has pointed out... what the school does must be reinforced at home by parent(s)... but often sadly isn't.”
by dascodave
Monday, December 10 2012, 12:38PM
“by 23041642
this is true and her natural reaction has a parent as would be to any one was to help but I dont know the level of "correctness"that this school practises plus she was newley qualified at the time so the fear of not breaking the rules may have laid heavy,plus her class has over 12 cultures and languages for her to deal with......”
by 23041642
Monday, December 10 2012, 11:58AM
“dascodave
My partners a primary teacher and she would help a child who was having difficulty buttoning and tying laces, any teacher at her school does the same. If this child was in discomfort all day then this will be a barrier to learning as well as maybe being distressing. If she was not happy about touching the childs clothing then why not get another member of staff to watch so no allegations could be made, then have a quick chat with the parent on the palyground at hometime to make them aware. It is a sad fact that gender plays a part and it is far easier for female teachers to comfort children and help them in this way. If a child has a toilet accident/grazed knee/crying etc then teachers/TA's have to step in and sort them out. They are simply not doing their job if they don't.”