Zero Tolerance

How does "Zero Tolerance" apply when a child has special needs? And what happens to a child who has breached "Zero Tolerance"?
Having worked with children from unstable home lives, seen teachers spending large amounts of time working with them to change their behaviour and the absolute negativity they sometimes have to overcome I can't see how it would work. It would result in huge numbers of children being excluded from school, more than currently, when figures are still rising. If huge numbers of children are out of the system and uneducated how can that help?

What does "zero tolerance" mean in practical terms? Surely it would depend on the head teacher's view of what education is for and what is important? So some schools would view a minor infringement of uniform rules as being a serious matter, whereas presumably other schools would not. The recent report of a school where children have to move around the building in absolute silence is, I suppose, an example of "zero tolerance" but is it a reasonable boundary to set?

Personally, I think it is a much more complex issue that can't be solved by applying arbitrary zero tolerance policies.

Is this a new phrase for discipline ?

A few very disruptive children cam have a big impact on the education of the many. I think it is an excellent policy to follow as long as children know the rules when they begin.

The children affected by a zero tolerance policy will primarily be those who infringe the school rules and are therefore usually in a small minority. The majority of children benefit from the policy as they can then learn in a safe and supportive environment free from bullying, intimidation and discord, where teaching time is maximised. Teachers will benefit by having increased protection from assault, humiliation and stress.

When I was teaching I started every new academic year with a strict 'zero tolerance' policy (though I didn't actually ever use that term). The children came to my class and were expected to work hard and behave according to a set of rules they drew up in conjunction with me. I always demonstrated respect and affirmation and positive behaviours were encouraged. By the end of a six week period the children had got used to my teaching style, settled down and we enjoyed the rest of the term without needing much in the way of reinforcement of appropriate behaviours. I used to supervise trainees who often wanted to be liked by their pupils leading them to be too lax about behaviour management. It's been my experience that when pupils respect a teacher they usually end up liking them too.

Having said that I think some schools may be in danger of being overly punitive because they don't take into account some of the pressures children face outside of the school environment. In my view zero tolerance should go hand in hand with really good pastoral care.

Zero tolerance of any kind of rule breaking does let children know where they stand. They are then less likely to push the boundaries of their stressed teachers and fellow pupils. It can seem a bit Dickensian but schools are meant to be learning environments where everyone feels safe. Zero tolerance can help with both.

Children have plenty of time outside of school hours to mess about and explore their options.

Well if it refers to zero tolerance of bullying, I would say about time. Schools have ignored bullying far too often in the past.