Concern at increase in North East Lincolnshire school expulsions
A council leader has called for a change in policy after a sharp rise in the number of pupils excluded from North East Lincolnshire schools.
A council report revealed that in 2010/11 there were 77 permanent expulsions from primary and secondary schools, compared with the previous year's total of eight.
North East Lincolnshire Council held a special meeting to discuss the issue.
The council's Labour leader Chris Shaw said he was concerned at the rise.
Ccouncillor Shaw claimed the rise was down to changes to the way the authority's schools were run.
"The reason why is simple. We have no control over our local secondary schools," he said.
"They are all academies and if they decide they want to exclude they can exclude. They don't have to ask our authority or permission to do so."
Mr Shaw called for a panel to be set-up to hear cases and decide whether pupils should be permanently excluded.
He said he was concerned that some schools might be using exclusions as a way of giving "a false impression of attainment figures."
Nick Seaton, from the Campaign for Real Education which lobbies to raise standards in schools, said exclusions were "unfortunate for some families", but they should still be used as a last resort for bad behaviour.
"Teachers often tell us that one or two troublemakers in a class or a school can ruin it for everyone else," he said
"It is hard to see why children should be allowed to do that. To make life miserable for their teachers or classmates."