It is the teachers at the sharp end who are the best professionally qualified and experienced people to make decisions on exclusions

"It is the teachers at the sharp end who are the best professionally qualified and experienced people to make decisions on exclusions." The conference called for independent exclusion appeals panels set up by local education authorities to be replaced by a new body on which only elected teachers and heads would serve.A survey of 140 teachers in Gravesend had shown more than 50 per cent believed their health had suffered through stress caused by unacceptable behaviour in pupils. Out of 42 schools surveyed, 26 identified a pupil who should be excluded and 25 said they had a pupil who posed a health and safety risk to staff. "The sad fact is that many teachers are dreading their return to the classroom next week,'' Mr Chadwick said.Goronwy Jones, of the union's executive, added: "All of you here today know that behaviour amongst a minority of pupils is certainly worse than it was a decade ago and is a major fact in influencing teachers to leave the profession.''The NUT's decision is in line with the more hawkish stance adopted by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), which is to debate the issue today. It is backing teachers in 33 schools in refusing to teach violent and disruptive children.The president of NASUWT told its annual conference in Jersey yesterday that complaints about unruly pupils had risen fivefold in less than a year.

"Even in socially advantaged areas of the country, teachers are witnessing a dramatic deterioration in pupil behaviour," Tony Hardman said. "Poor behaviour is driving experienced teachers out of the profession and will soon hit recruitment. The constant battles to maintain some semblance of order and the lack of support from some ineffective and apathetic parents make many members question the value of what they do." David Blunkett, the Secretary of State for Education, has told schools he expects them to expel violent pupils despite targets to reduce exclusions.. Talks between the Government and teachers could begin next week, it was announced today.

Talks between the Government and teachers could begin next week, it was announced today at the NASUWT annual conference in Jersey.School standards minister Estelle Morris signalled her readiness to meet the two largest classroom associations a day or two after they suspend their work–to–rule over teacher shortages.Bosses of the National Union of Teachers and the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers have already said they will do so and are set to meet early next week to iron out details of the suspension.The Department for Education and Employment said it had not been decided which minister will attend, and it could be Education Secretary David Blunkett.The Local Government Association, representing councils, will also be present.. A teacher at a special school has been awarded £37,000 in damages after she suffered back injuries because she was repeatedly forced to restrain violent pupils, the National Union of Teachers said yesterday. A teacher at a special school has been awarded £37,000 in damages after she suffered back injuries because she was repeatedly forced to restrain violent pupils, the National Union of Teachers said yesterday.Jo Daws, 57, was forced to give up work in 1996 because of spinal injury suffered through constantly restraining unruly children. She had worked for 18 years at Beckmead School, for boys aged 7 to 16 with emotional and behavioural difficulties, in Croydon, south London.London County Court ruled this month that her employer, Croydon Local Education Authority, had failed to protect her safety and awarded the money for a loss of earnings. Part of Mrs Daws's compensation was for injury, although the court recognised there was some earlier damage to her back that was not connected to her job as a teacher.At Beckmead School, Mrs Daws was responsible for the admissions class, dealing with some disturbed children, some who had been ejected from other schools in the borough.Restraining pupils for their own and others' safety became a "daily event".

In one incident, Mrs Daws had to restrain a pupil by lying across his legs and holding his arms down.At 5ft 6in, she was not a frail woman, the NUT said, but in June 1996 she hurt her back restraining a boy who was kicking her, and in September that year, she cricked it when a boy she was holding pulled away.The climate at the school became such that, although she liked working with the children, she became "frightened" about going to work. Mrs Daws said: "I'm very sad that I've had to give up the job I loved. But it became frightening to go to school, it became more stressful each day. I was worried for the other pupils because they were being denied chances as well. We didn't have the support we needed in order to give them the help they needed.". Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone), singer: born New York 19 May 1951; died New York 15 April 2001.

Jeffrey Hyman (Joey Ramone), singer: born New York 19 May 1951; died New York 15 April 2001. Frantic, urgent, minimalist rock'n'roll was the life blood of the Ramones, the New York punk rockers fronted by Joey Ramone. When the rock world seemed increasingly dominated by meaningful lyricists and superstar musos, the Ramones offered a cheerful, high-energy alternative. You didn't have to analyse their music ­ just lie back and enjoy it. Better still, you could pogo to a style that pre-dated the much vaunted British punk movement by at least two years.