Children as young as FOUR suspended for taking weapons to school
Children as young as FOUR were among 7,763 pupils suspended for taking knives or BB guns in space of year
- Figures show 541 students were expelled for bringing weapons into school
- Fourteen children in reception classes were suspended for the offensive items
- Government says exclusions ‘necessary way of managing behaviour’
Children as young as four are among thousands of children kicked out of school last year for bringing weapons, new figures have shown.
7,763 pupils were suspended for taking items including knives and BB guns into school, with 541 expelled.
Fourteen children in the reception class, where children start at age four, were suspended for bringing in lethal items.
Department for Education spokesperson said exclusions ‘necessary’ for behaviour management
Offensive articles also include pencil sharpener blades and aerosol cans with lighters used as flame throwers.
Cases of children using knives, scissors, screwdrivers, furniture and a BB gun were identified in Tower Hamlets, East London, the Freedom of Information obtained by The Sun on Sunday shows.
Rotherham Council, South Yorkshire said one pupil threatened a member of staff with a knife and another caused damage to a school with a baseball bat.
A student was suspended for having a penknife in Redcar and Cleveland.
Christopher McGovern, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: ‘The extent of violence in and around some schools is shocking.’
An Education Department spokesman said: ‘Exclusions are a necessary way of managing behaviour.’
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