CAROL Gormley is truly the new broom who sweeps clean.

She showed 23 misbehaving pupils the door in her first week at Colne Valley High School.

No messing, no regrets – a purge that was long overdue, she says.

Bravo for her! A head prepared to take a stand in order to make her school a decent place.

While her actions have not found favour with some – especially the parents of the children who are temporarily excluded – others will be voicing silent approval.

All too often these days we read of worsening discipline in schools, where many pupils have come to the conclusion that they have the upper hand over teachers.

The majority of youngsters in any class should not be hampered by the rebels. It is right to remove them when it is clear they are refusing to toe the line so the rest can get on with their education.

Ms Gormley deserves every support and we hope that the pupils involved will have learned a lesson and manage to behave when they come back to school.

It is essential we get to the root of the problem to reverse what is an extremely worrying trend. If we don’t, the potential consequences for society don’t bear thinking about.

It is also vital that all parents, and not some, do their utmost to ensure their children adhere to the code of conduct at their particular school.

But should school rules be broken then they must face up to their punishment and under no circumstances should parents excuse them from doing so.