EXCLUSIONS FROM SCHOOLS, 1998/99
The results of the first annual survey on exclusions from school in 1998/99 are published today by the Scottish Executive Education Department.
Exclusions, in this context, include both temporary exclusions and exclusions/removed from the register. An exclusion is temporary when a pupil is excluded from a school but remains on the register of that school because they are expected to return when the exclusion period is completed. The term 'exclusion/removed from the register' refers to a pupil who is excluded and their name removed from the school register. Such a pupil would then be educated at another school or via some other form of provision.
In April 1998, Local Authorities were asked to collect additional information on exclusions from the start of the 1998/99 school year. This included the circumstances and length of the exclusion as well as whether the child excluded had a Record of Needs or was entitled to free school meals.
The main findings are:
- During 1998/99, there were 34,831 exclusions from local authority primary, secondary and special schools in Scotland. 85 per cent were from secondary schools, 13 per cent were from primary schools, and 2 per cent were from special schools (Tables 1, 2a, 2b and 2c);
- Over 99 per cent of all exclusions were temporary. In only 200 cases were pupils removed from the register of the school (Table 1);
- Overall, male pupils accounted for around 82 per cent of all exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools. By sector, male pupils accounted for: around 93 per cent of all exclusions from primary schools; 80 per cent from secondary schools; and 91 per cent from special schools (Tables 2a, 2b and 2c);
- In primary schools, around a third of all exclusions occurred in stage P7, with a further 23 per cent occurring in stage P6. In secondary schools, nearly a third of all exclusions occurred in stage S3, with a further 27 per cent occurring in stage S2, and 23 per cent occurring in stage S4 (Tables 2a and 2b);
- Of all exclusions of children with a known ethnic background, children recorded from a 'White' background accounted for around 98 per cent of all exclusions (Table 3);
- Nearly half of all temporary exclusions, with a known duration, were for either six half days (33 per cent) or four half days (15 per cent) duration. A further 31 per cent were for 10 half days duration or more (Table 4);
- Of all exclusions with known circumstances, around a quarter of them involved general or persistent disobedience; around 15 per cent involved verbal abuse of members of staff; and 13 per cent involved physical abuse of fellow pupils (Table 5);
- Of all exclusions: just under half involved children entitled to free school meals; three per cent involved children with a Record of Needs; 13 per cent involved children looked after by the Local Authority; and 0.4 per cent were appealed against. Comparison with the overall school population shows that pupils entitled to free school meals, or with a Record of Needs, or looked after by the Local Authority, had higher exclusion rates than other pupils (Table 6);
- Overall, there were 46 exclusions per 1,000 pupils from local authority primary, secondary, and special schools in Scotland in 1998/99. The highest exclusion rates were in Glasgow City (101 exclusions per 1,000 pupils), Dundee City (98 per 1,000) and West Dunbartonshire (93 per 1,000). The lowest exclusion rates were in Eilean Siar (two per 1,000), the Shetland Islands (three per 1,000), and the Orkney Islands (seven per 1,000) (Table 7);
The following tables are available:
Table 1 - Exclusions from local authority
primary, secondary and special schools, by type of exclusion, 1998/99.
Table 2a - Exclusions from local authority
primary schools, by stage and gender, 1998/99.
Table 2b - Exclusions from local authority
secondary schools, by stage and gender, 1998/99.
Table 2c - Exclusions from local authority
special schools, by gender, 1998/99.
Table 3 - Exclusions by ethnic background,
1998/99.
Table 4 - Temporary exclusions by duration,
1998/99.
Table 5 - Circumstances given as the reason
for exclusion, 1998/99.
Table 6 - Other information on exclusions,
1998/99.
Table 7 - Exclusions from local authority primary,
secondary, and special schools, by type of exclusion and Local Authority, 1998/99.
BACKGROUND
1. Under Circulars 10/93 and 1/95, authorities are required each year to collect certain statistics from schools on exclusions. The statistics relate to half days of temporary exclusions and number of pupils excluded/removed from the register (previously known as 'permanent' exclusions).
2. In April 1998, The Scottish Office issued Circular 2/98 to Local Authorities, informing them of a formal requirement to report, record and monitor additional information on exclusions from schools starting from the 1998/99 school year.
3. Also, on 20 July 1999, the Scottish Executive published an Action Plan for the implementation in Scotland of the recommendations made in the Macpherson Report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence. In the Action Plan, the Executive made a commitment to publish information at a national level on the ethnic identity of excluded pupils in Scotland.
4. Following the issue of Circular 2/98, the Scottish Executive collected and collated this additional information from Local Authorities for the first time in September 1999. This new survey was titled 'Exclusions from Schools, 1998/99'.
5. It should be noted that:
-
This is the first year that this 'Exclusions from Schools' survey has been run. Returns were received from all local authorities. However, some authorities did not provide complete information on the duration and/or circumstance of the exclusions within their schools. Therefore, the results for these two categories have been expressed as a percentage of known information.
-
Information on exclusions in 1998/99 has previously been published in the HM Inspectors of Schools Audit Unit's 'Attendance and Absence in Scottish Schools 1996/97 to 1998/99' report in December 1999. The results obtained from the 'Exclusions from Schools, 1998/99' survey are not exactly the same as these previously published figures for a number of reasons. However, differences between these two sources have been investigated and minimised as far as possible.
- This survey did not include information about the pre-school sector.
- In reporting the summary information for 1998/99, there was no requirement for Local Authorities to record separately those children who had multiple exclusions during the school year. Therefore, the figures relate to the total number of exclusions made, rather than to the number of pupils who had been excluded during the year.
6. Some Local Authorities show zeros for 'exclusions/removed from the register' because, as a matter of policy, they do not permit such exclusions. Therefore, comparisons between and among Local Authorities should be treated with caution.
7. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.
8. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Dave Sorensen, Statistician, Scottish Executive Education Department, Area 1A-West, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. Telephone 0131 244 0322 or email dave.sorensen@scotland.gov.uk.
News Release: SE2007/2000
12 Jul 2000
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