Exclusion and excluded pupils

Abstract

The voices of pupils excluded from school for disciplinary reasons are infrequently heard. This article draws together the views of a small sample of pupils, gathered over three separate projects, and identifies common themes. The pupils' voices are reported in the more general context of the role of schools in promoting social inclusion and in a review of patterns of disciplinary exclusion in Scotland. The article concludes that, while many individual schools and teachers try hard to sustain difficult and challenging pupils in mainstream school, the problems faced by both are intractable. The focus on school policy and practice distracts attention from broader social and economic problems requiring solutions.