'I've experienced physical force in the classroom once. A teacher grabbed me and swung me around the classroom. I couldn't believe it. I didn't stop swearing because I was shocked. The teacher didn't bother to look at the situation properly, they just immediately grabbed me,' says Senab Adekunle, 15.
| If a teacher manhandles you, you’re going to want to manhandle them back. |
This experience has convinced her that physical force has little place in the classroom - a view echoed by many pupils. 'I wouldn't let a teacher touch me,' says Stuart Fletcher, 15. 'Sometimes I get angry if teachers don't teach properly, and I have a go. If a teacher was to grab my hand just because I said something, I would get annoyed. I think some teachers might abuse their power.'
Pete Campbell, 17, knows from his own experiences that tensions between pupils and teachers intensify with the threat of force. 'I used to manipulate my teachers and push them to the point that they wanted to hit me. Teachers love being boss, so I'd just think I'll test this teacher,' he says.
Julia Press, 18, suggests that while physical force might solve discipline problems in the short term, the overall effect would be negative. 'In most schools there's discipline because the teachers are respected, but some teachers don't have the respect of the pupils so they don't have any discipline and pupils play up. If a teacher tries to physically remove someone from the classroom, then pupils will have even less respect for them. I don't think any force is reasonable,' she argues.
Pupils agree that discipline needs to be tougher, but doubt that a hands-on approach is an effective weapon in classroom control. Erica Rutherford, 16, says, 'I've been in classrooms where chairs have been thrown at the teacher and pupils have sworn in the teacher's face. They need some discipline, but force will have the opposite effect. It will become a challenge, because the pupils getting into trouble will say, "Yeah, come on then, hit me. Like I care?"'
Raphael Omozusi, 12, is concerned that the step from restraint to violence is small. 'The decision to allow force will lead pupils to retaliate against the teacher. It will be like war.' Julia agrees, 'If a teacher manhandles you, you're going to want to manhandle them back.'
Some pupils accept that force is the only option available to teachers in extreme situations, but have firm ideas about its limits. 'I think teachers should be able to touch a child but not harm them. Reasonable force means being able to separate a fight or holding a child still if their lashing out,' explains Ellie Harries, aged ten.
Even Senab, who doesn't like the idea of using any force, recalls an incident where she feels the teacher was right to intervene in a fight between two pupils: 'There was a fight in my science class and physical restraint was absolutely necessary. If the teacher hadn't dragged one girl back, she wouldn't have had any hair left on her head. The teacher actually had to jump in and pull the girls apart.'
Though these young people have reservations about the Government's proposal, they agree it could be helpful if schools use it as a tool for debating acceptable standards of behaviour with pupils and teachers. 'The department for Education and Employment says schools should have a clear policy on this subject which all staff, parents and the governing body understand. There should be a contract that each pupil signs to say they won't do certain things,' suggests Stuart.
About the team
This article was produced by editors Julia Press 18, Salomey Ainoo, Pete Campbell, 17, Erica Rutherford, 16, Senab Adekunle, 15, Stuart Fletcher, 15, Abeyna Jones and reporters Raphael Omozusi, 12, Ellie Harries, 10 and Koiya Donovan. It was published in Home & School magazine.
