MORE than 190 students were excluded or suspended from school in Kirklees last year for one simple reason.

They were each responsible for a physical attack on a member of staff at their school. Figures obtained from Kirklees Council under the Freedom of Information Act confirmed that during 2008/9, 193 children were sent home for attacks on staff.

Shocking as that may seem, it is an improvement on 2005/6 when attacks reached a peak of 279.

Any reduction in these numbers must be welcomed but vigilance must continue to ensure that the trend is ever downwards.

There are fears, inevitably perhaps, that some of the attacks may go unreported. This kind of behaviour, after all, reflects badly on any school.

But being up front about any potential problem is surely the key to improving behaviour and with it the safety of both staff and other students.

Children who behave in a violent manner need skilled handling. It is to be hoped that one of the biggest continuing investments in our school culture is in the training of staff to deal with whatever situations may confront them.

No-one wants to exclude children but for the good of the majority, these issues have to be tackled and dealt with firmly in order to ensure an environment in which all can feel safe and able to learn.