Responding to data from the
Department for Education showing an increase in the number of
pupils suspended and permanently excluded in the 2022/23 academic
year, Pepe Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said:
“School leaders only ever suspend and exclude pupils as a last
resort, and therefore this rise would appear to reflect the
increasingly complex needs and challenging behaviour we are
seeing in schools and across wider society. Behavioural issues
are often a result of poor mental health or unmet special
educational needs. We desperately need the new government to work
alongside the education profession to put support systems in
place that ensure young people get the help they need to stop
these problems from escalating. Early intervention is key to
solving this issue, but schools lack the resources to offer
specialist support and local services have become overwhelmed by
the increased demand. It's vitally important that there is
investment in education and family support services to ensure
children get help as soon as they require it and behavioural
issues do not spiral to the point where suspensions and
exclusions are the only option left available to school leaders.”
