Island MP Andrew Turner has praised a Newport headmaster for his ‘courageous’ policy of zero tolerance towards disruptive pupils.
In the parliamentary Second Reading of the Government’s new Education Bill, Mr Turner referred to the action of Kevin Prunty of Medina High School. He said,
“Since half-term [the headmaster], courageously and with the support of his governors, has operated a policy of zero tolerance of bad behaviour, foul language and attacks on children and teachers in the classroom. His reward is to have been applauded by almost everyone who was consulted, with the conspicuous exception of … the Liberal Democrat-run Isle of Wight Council. Those people are not supporting head teachers in their difficult task.”
In preparing for the debate, Mr Turner wrote to various groups on the Island, including teachers’ unions, who indicated that pupil behaviour was an issue of grave concern. Mr Turner said,
“When the Island secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) tells me that, ‘“Inclusivity” when applied without flexibility to Schools increases the number of disruptive children . . . and creates a false belief in Management and Governors that a School which excludes . . . will be . . . a failing School’, it is clear that something is wrong.
“Why does the Council make it so difficult for Heads to adopt the approach taken at Medina High School? Teachers need all the support we can give them, and Mr Prunty’s stance should be applauded. The Isle of Wight Council closed the Clatterford Centre, the only pupil referral unit on the Island, assuming that disruptive pupils would be dealt with by schools, yet they fail to support his stand against anti-social and inappropriate behaviour. The Council should recognize that ‘zero tolerance’ saves the motivated majority of pupils from the antics of a disruptive minority.”
