Isolated teachers 'losing control'

A dire combination of unruly pupils and increased ministerial interference has left secondary school teachers struggling to cope, a report claims today.

In a grim picture of life in the classroom, the study says teachers are in a "constant battle" against bored, aggressive pupils, hostile parents and the interventionist policies of the Government.

"The low points in most teachers' lives arose from the deterioration in pupils' classroom behaviour resulting in a constant battle to be 'allowed to teach'.

"It is compounded by the lack of support from external sources, often parents themselves unable to cope with their children growing up in a new and challenging social context," said the report.

It blamed large class sizes, too many national initiatives and pressure to meet assessment targets as major obstacles to teaching. Other areas of concern included poor resources, badly-maintained buildings and the Government's policy on inclusion.

"The decline in pupil behaviour is clearly linked to the nature of the curriculum and the structures which frame it," said the report, A Life in Secondary Teaching: Finding Time for Learning, by Cambridge University's education faculty.

The authors, John MacBeath and Maurice Galton, contrasted the findings of a report 15 years ago with the position now. "Then, the main concerns of teachers were pupils talking out of turn and leaving their seats without permission.

"Now, pupils' attitude is aggressive. They are more assertive and they challenge teachers who try to discipline them," said Professor Galton. The problem is compounded by the Government's blanket inclusion policy which allows troublesome pupils to remain in class, the report noted.

Doug McAvoy, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, which commissioned the study, said the findings were worse than expected. "The report paints a disturbing picture of declining pupil behaviour fuelled by large class sizes, pressure to meet targets, an inappropriate curriculum and a lack of time for teachers to discuss the problems with colleagues," he said. But the Department for Education said the report did not provide a "balanced picture of life in schools".

Meanwhile, a new row over the future of fee-paying schools broke out today as the Government published wide-ranging proposals which could threaten their charitable status.

Independent heads said scores of small schools could be forced to close because of the loss of tax relief.

A draft Bill to be published today is expected to require all schools to show how they confer a "public benefit" - beyond simply educating their own fee-paying pupils - in order to justify charitable status worth nearly £90 million a year in tax relief. The move has been hailed by Left-wingers as a long overdue attack on "bastions of privilege".

Some of the biggest independent schools have already prepared to face the challenge by expanding community activities and offering partnerships with state schools.