TEACHERS TO GET POWERS TO SEARCH PUPILS FOR DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Teachers will be given powers to search pupils for drugs and alcohol
as part of a new drive to restore discipline in schools.

School staff will also be able to check pupils for cigarettes and
stolen property, as well as alcohol and drugs - and parents will be
informed of the results in mobile phone text messages and emails.

A Government-commissioned report by Sir Alan Steer, recommends
extending existing powers to search young people for weapons to cover
other items which should not be brought into the classroom.

Welcoming the report, Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, said: "I
want to build on the powers we have already given teachers following
Sir Alan's earlier recommendations on searching for weapons by
extending these 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."

Schools are already allowed to search pupils for knives and other
weapons, and head teachers are able to apply for funds from their
local authority to buy technology such as arch and wand metal detectors.

A number of teenagers have been murdered in or close to their schools
in recent years, including Kiyan Prince, a 15-year-old young
footballer from north west London, who was stabbed to death with a pen
knife by a fellow pupil who was losing an after school "play fight".

In future, the Government wants more heads to work with police to
establish "Safer School Partnerships" to drive out weapons, drugs and
alcohol from their schools, while "parent advisors" will be asked to
contribute suggestions in the event of trouble.

In the second of his planned three reports into discipline in schools,
which ministers hope will help tackle youth crime more generally, Sir
Alan will also say that alcohol remains more of a problem than drugs
in most schools.

He wants teachers to be able to take advantage of new technology to
keep in greater contact with parents about their children's behaviour.

A pupil who misbehaved in class could be reported to his or her
parents via email or text message.

They will also be contacted if there are concerns about a teenagers
attendance or punctuality.

Sir Alan, who is headteacher of a school in Ilford, east London, will
call for better training for teachers to deal with unruly behaviour,
with more detailed recommendations to be published in his final report
due out in the autumn.

Despite public concern about unruly behaviour among school children,
he insisted he remained "extremely optimistic" about the situation in
most schools, adding: "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."

A recent report for the Department for Children found that 92 per cent
of parents felt they were involved in their education, but Sir Alan
said that the Government should not be complacent.

Exclusions were down seven per cent to 8,680, as head teachers have
been told to concentrate on "short sharp" suspensions instead of
permanent expulsion.