Schools ban 4,000 unruly under-fives

MORE than 4,000 children aged five and under were thrown out of school for bad behaviour last year.

Hundreds of three- and four year-olds were suspended from schools for attacking their classmates and teachers, according to government figures.

Some 320 under-11s were excluded for "sexual misconduct", drug or alcohol related offences.

The Conservatives described the figures as "shocking" while teachers blamed violent video games and television for the problem.

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "Ministers have eroded teachers' ability to keep order by restricting their powers to deal with disruptive and violent children.

"We want to restore the authority of teachers to ensure a safe and secure environment for children of all ages to learn in. The number of young children being suspended from school is shocking."

John Bangs, from the National Union of Teachers, said a small number of children were starting nursery without having been "socialised" at all by their parents.

"They pick up like blotting paper the awfulness of some cable television and computer games and reflect that at nursery," he said.

"Teachers report there are some children who are extremely difficult to cope with.

"These figures indicate the nature of some aspects of society and the awful circumstances that these kids come from. It is very worrying." During the 2006-07 school year, 45,740 pupils in England were suspended from state primary and nursery schools. One in 10 was aged five or under.

Nearly 18,000 children were excluded for a fixed period for violence against other pupils and teachers.

The Government said violence in the classroom was unacceptable but stressed that behaviour was good "most of the time".

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "Of course heads have the power to permanently exclude pupils where necessary but we are also helping schools to turn around poor behaviour before it reaches this stage.

"Violence in the classroom, at any age, is not acceptable and teachers have the power to take appropriate action against young children involved in such acts - and these figures show that they are doing that."