Teachers to be given power to search for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes

Teachers will be allowed by law to search children for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes in school under proposals today which will be accepted by the Schools Secretary.

Sir Alan Steer, the Government’s behaviour adviser, will make the proposal in a report to Ed Balls, along with a call for more cooperation between parents and schools to stamp out poor behaviour before it happens.

His recommendations come after a speech last week, in which he said that parents must take more responsibility for tackling violence among their teenage children.

Sir Alan - who concludes that behaviour remains good and is improving in the majority of schools - nevertheless says that more must be done to keep drugs and drink out of schools.

The Government has already legislated to give schools the right to search for knives and dangerous weapons. Schools can also, if they wish, screen pupils for weapons using arch and wand metal detectors.

Sir Alan now proposes legislation to allow teachers to search for drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and stolen property. He also says that, for most schools, alcohol is a bigger problem than drugs.

Although, in practice, teachers at present would search children if they suspected them of having drugs or drink, Sir Alan suggests that they should have the power spelt out in law to avoid any challenge.

It is likely to be done through an amendment to the Education and Skills Bill, currently going through Parliament, or a new, shorter Bill in the autumn.

He also proposes:

- Schools should work more closely with the police. He says officers cannot tackle problems like substance misuse alone and recommends that a larger number of schools should establish safer school partnerships with police

- Encouraging instant feedback to parents through online reporting and text alerts about children’s behaviour

- Funding for parental support advisors, which Sir Alan will claim are highly effective in improving behaviour where parental involvement is key

- Better training for teachers to ensure that they are well equipped to deal with poor behaviour

Also in his review, Sir Alan will cite evidence that parents now have more involvement in their children than ever and, in 2008, 92 per cent of parents felt involved in their child’s education. However, he will say that we should not be complacent.

Mr Balls said last night that the review was about preventing bad behaviour before it happened. Low-level behavioural problems can sometimes be a forerunner to more serious issues, he said.

“I want to help schools crack down early to prevent problems further down the line. We need to ensure schools have the powers and support they need to maintain good behaviour and to stop problems in the wider community, such as drugs and alcohol use, entering the school grounds,” Mr Balls said.

The Minister promised to build on the weapons-searching powers already given to teachers following Sir Alan’s earlier recommendations by extending them to cover drugs, alcohol and other inappropriate items. “It will ensure that everyone knows that a teacher’s authority in the classroom is unquestionable and teachers are clear about their right to use them,” he said.

Schools and parents needed to work more closely to maintain discipline, which is a fundamental ingredient to making sure children learn to the best of their abilities, he added. “I know of schools where parents are texted before 10am if their child has not turned up - this kind of early alert really helps to nip problems in the bud. Online reporting can also help parents track their child’s progress and help them feel more involved,” he added.

“I’m pleased that Sir Alan has again told me that, in his expert view, behaviour is generally good and is improving in our schools and this fits with what Ofsted tells me.”

Sir Alan said: “I remain extremely optimistic about the current situation in schools. There will always be problems in bringing up the young, but these should not be exaggerated. I believe that the vast majority of young people are as idealistic, committed and enthusiastic as they ever were and that standards of behaviour in schools are generally good. I also believe that most parents are responsible and caring.”

The Government recently released figures showing that short, sharp exclusions were working well in tackling poor behaviour and had caused a reduction in permanent exclusions. Overall, permanent exclusions are down seven per cent to 8,680 on the previous year - a drop of 29 per cent since 1997-98.

Times | Philip Webster | Monday, July 16, 2008