Exclude Exclusion, Not Children
3rd August 2017
By Elliot Miller
The Department for Education (DfE) recently published figures on permanent and fixed period exclusions from state-funded schools, during the 2015/16 academic year. A total 9,250 permanent and fixed period exclusions were issued for drugs and alcohol in 2015/16, the highest rate since 2010. Overall, exclusions for drug and alcohol related offences have increased over the past decade.
Ironically, this comes as the government announced an expansion of a drug and alcohol prevention programme in schools (Alcohol and Drugs Education and Prevention Information Service; ADEPIS), which educates young people about drugs and alcohol. Yet, the government’s new strategy to reduce drug use is catastrophically contradicted by the rising rate of pupils excluded for substance offences. How are these young people going to get education about drugs and alcohol if they are excluded?
A DfE spokeswoman said “we want every child to have access to a good school place where they can learn without disruption and feel safe at school.” But while the number of exclusions continues to rise, ‘every child’ presents a perplexing paradox.
More worryingly, the Institute for Public Policy and Research (IPPR) has published a study coinciding with the release of these figures, revealing that half of all pupils expelled from school are suffering from a recognised mental health problem. Whether these young people have pre-existing mental health difficulties is irrelevant; exclusion will only serve to exacerbate symptoms.
Perhaps the biggest concern of all then, is the increased risk of excluded children developing co-morbid mental health and substance use problems. This will have a profound impact on a young person’s life chances – diminishing their chances of employment, developing healthy relationships and being valued in wider society.
It is time the Government start taking action to fix the broken system failing these excluded pupils, which does not consider the disadvantages such children will face. Addressing those children excluded for drug and alcohol offences to ensure they don’t suffer in the long–term – mentally, emotionally, socially and physically – should take precedence.
Moving forward, though, our education system needs reform. A good place to start is making sure all schools have a drugs policy in place to deal with substance issues, requiring funding so sufficient resources are available to provide children with the support they need. Only then, together with a shift in societal attitudes, will we see those children excluded from school being given a second chance.