Morris backs tough stance on violent parents

Parents and pupils who abuse or assault teachers were told yesterday they would have to improve their behaviour or "face the consequences".

Estelle Morris, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pledged to support headteachers who took a tough stance against classroom violence and bad behaviour, insisting that "one child showing disrespect to a teacher in one school is one child too many."

Senior government sources said ministers would back headteachers who decided to prosecute abusive children and parents, and warned that levels of disruption must fall to allow teachers to do their job.

Ms Morris told conference delegates that a minority of children were "out of control". She said: "The easy choice is to say nothing can be done, it's a sign of the times. We can choose to be a society that throws its hands up in horror but is unwilling to do anything about it or we can give a clear message about the behaviour we expect from our pupils. We need to back teachers and make parents take responsibility."

She added: "I hear too many stories of parents questioning a teacher's right to exercise discipline in the classroom; it has to stop. Parents have rights but they have responsibilities as well. If they do not exercise those responsibilities, then they will have to face the consequences."

In a wide-ranging speech, Ms Morris expanded on Tony Blair's calls for schools to enter a "post-comprehensive" era. She insisted that all schools could gain a specialism and promised that the Government would press ahead with the development of new advanced schools and city academies.

Ms Morris said: "I tell you what I mean by a post- comprehensive era. It cherishes the values of opportunity and worth, but it's open and honest about its strengths and weaknesses and brave about where it goes next."

But Malcolm Horne, a delegate from the Socialist Education Association, attacked specialist schools and city academies, describing them as "destructive". He said: "This is not post-comprehensive, Tony. It is the destruction of the comprehensive principles. No more elitism. No more division."

Catherine Gregory, a primary school teacher, called for new measures to cut teachers' workloads. She told party leaders: "The teaching profession has listened to you, we have trusted you and we have worked hard to make government policies a reality in British primary schools. Now it's your turn to repay the favour."