Williamson backs exclusions and expulsions, claiming children 'lacked discipline' in lockdown

In a column for the Telegraph, the Education Secretary says he would “back schools” in imposing “detentions, suspension or – as an absolute last resort – expulsion” on pupils “when faced with persistent bad behaviour” after months of closures due to lockdown.

• Best practice: Whole-school approach brings down bullying

• Read more: Help to challenge exclusions

“Maintaining good discipline is an absolute must in any classroom and is one of our key priorities,” Williamson writes, adding: “Out-of-control behaviour will also destroy the wholesome and happy environment that every school should be.”

He also calls for blanket bans on mobile phones in schools as the Department for Education revealed the 22 schools chosen to take part in the government’s new £10m “behaviour hub” scheme led by behaviour tsar Tom Bennett.

Williamson’s focus on curbing “bad behaviour” comes from what he describes as “the lack of regular structure and discipline [in lockdown]".

"Although remote learning was a tremendous success in terms of enabling children to carry on with their lessons from home, the lack of regular structure and discipline will inevitably have had an effect on their behaviour," he says.

“I know that parents understand the need for greater discipline in school,” the Education Secretary adds. “They would expect children to be in orderly rows or groups, listening to a teacher who didn’t have to shout to be heard.”

The controversial calls for a focus on discipline come despite warnings from children’s campaigners that children struggling with mental health problems exacerbated by the pandemic may be at a higher risk of exclusion.

Former children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield has previously called for schools to “be very careful about how they handle children who are struggling to cope”.

“It would be a tragedy if the return to school leads to a rise in school exclusions or in more children being educated at home when it isn’t really what the family wants,” she said.

Meanwhile, current children’s commissioner for England Dame Rachel de Souza has called on schools to “focus on children’s wellbeing” for the remainder of the school year.

MPs and teachers are among those who have hit out at Williamson’s comments, accusing him of “throwing kids under the bus at a time of great upheaval and trauma”.

Any competent Education Secretary would be offering heartfelt praise to young people for the way they have handled educational disruption during the pandemic.

Naturally, #GavinWilliamson chooses to criticise them for being ill-disciplined. They, and we, deserve better than him.

— Dr Mark Anderson (@markandersonrun) April 7, 2021

GP Ellie Cannon wrote on Twitter: “Children were devastated, traumatised, isolated, imprisoned, let down repeatedly and led to believe they didn’t matter. All to protect others from an infection that didn’t touch kids. The lack of discipline and order is evident in Gavin Williamson. Resign!”

Teacher Simon Smith tweeted: “He must be walking into different schools to the ones I know of. 

“Everyone I know has been amazed by how brilliantly children have returned and how focused they’ve been.”

It's a great idea that Gavin Williamson is complaining about children's lack of 'discipline' and 'order' because it's always other people's children who are 'badly behaved'. It's a vote winner!

— Michael Rosen 💙💙🎓🎓 (@MichaelRosenYes) April 7, 2021

Wes Streeting, Labour MP for Ilford North, added: “Gavin Williamson has the audacity to criticise parents saying children lacked "order and discipline" during lockdown. 

“This from an Education Secretary whose leadership has been a chaotic shambles.”

Deputy Labour Party leader Angela Rayner wrote: “Gavin Williamson should sort himself out before lecturing our kids after the year they've had, made a lot worse by their bad luck of growing up with him as Education Secretary.

“He's voted to let kids go hungry and left kids without laptops for a year of lockdowns. Grade: U.”

Now my eyes have stopped rolling I can respond to the latest drips of genius from the Secretary of State for education...
Where is the evidence that behaviour is worse? Local #Hull heads I have spoken to have told me behaviour has really improved. I asked why and they thought...

— Emma Hardy MP (@EmmaHardyMP) April 7, 2021

David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenam, said: “Strange for the disgraced Education Secretary to announce a crackdown on bad behaviour. 

“After his year of calamities, if Gavin Williamson was a school kid he would be facing permanent expulsion.”