Children of violent parents may be expelled in UK

Schools in Britain have been given the go-ahead to expel pupils whose parents are violent towards staff and disruptive, the Daily Telegraph reported recently.

Head teachers have been reluctant to punish children for the wrongs of parents but Stephen Twigg, the new education minister, said they might need to use the power in extreme cases.

Posters are to go up in schools to remind parents they face prosecution for attacks on staff.

An increase in attacks led one teacher union to suggest earlier this year that the Department for Education should change its advice to schools. At present, it says pupils should not be punished for the actions of their parents.

Mr Twigg said there was a case for expelling pupils because of their parents "in extreme circumstances". He added: "If you have, for example, persistent bad behaviour by parents, I think that is something we should look at."

The Malta Union of Teachers recently called for stiffer penalties against parents or students reponsible for physical or verbal attacks against teachers. Several incidents have been reported over the past few years.