Morris 'over-reacts on school violence'

Local councils today hit back at Government claims that they do not do enough to protect teachers against violent parents.

Estelle Morris was due today to demand automatic prosecution of parents who attack teachers, criticising councils for failing to take enough to court.

But a senior local government leader accused her of over-reaction, insisting that court action was not always necessary.

Graham Lane, education chairman of the Local Government Association, said councils had other powers - such as banning parents from school - and regularly used them. "If ministers are going to stand up and make these accusations, they should base what they say on evidence," he said.

Mr Lane was talking before a speech by Ms Morris to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers' annual conference in Cardiff, where delegates have demanded tougher action to shield them from violence from children and parents.

The ATL said assaults had tripled over the past five years, with 125 teachers seeking union backing in cases involving physical violence in the past year.

They accused education authorities of failing to press many prosecutions and the Crown Prosecution Service of failing to proceed, even where the evidence was available. In these cases they want councils to take their own private prosecutions of children and parents.

Today, Ms Morris was due to tell the union: "There is no excuse for attacking teachers. If parents do, then they must expect to be punished."