England's schools are facing new criticism after government data showed significant rise in both suspensions and permanent exclusions of students.
As per the Department for Education, nearly 300,000 students were suspended during the spring term of 2023/24.
This shows a 12% increase compared to the previous spring term in 2022/23.
Suspensions:
Since spring 2019, the number of students suspended from school has almost doubled, increasing by 93% which is around 153,465 students.
Permanent exclusions:
Meanwhile, the number of students permanently removed from school also went up slightly, from 3,039 to 3,107 which is 2%.
What's the reason behind this spike?
As per multiple outlets, the main reason students are being suspended or permanently removed from school is because of "persistent disruptive behaviour."
However, many people in the education field believe that these numbers also reveal a bigger issue.
They think the rise in suspensions and exclusions is also linked to the stress and challenges students are facing after the COVID-19 pandemic, not just bad behaviour.
Speaking on behalf of Lewis Hamilton's charity 44, CEO Jason Arthur said, "Persistent disruptive behaviour continues to be the most common reason – yet taking children out of the classroom often only addresses the symptom and not the underlying causes of poor behaviour," as per Sky News.
Activists and workers' union are now asking government leaders to support solutions that help students early on, before problems getting worse.
