Discipline aids good education, says MEP

Paul Nuttall MEP has expressed alarm at a report showing inmates in a North West young offenders institute get a better education than thousands of school children.

Inspectors have found that the standard of education at YOI Hindley near Wigan was 'as good, if not better' than many students receive in schools and colleges.

"This is good news for the inmates who hopefully will be able to take advantage of the education to turn their lives around. But it paints a depressing picture of education in schools," said Paul Nuttall, deputy UKIP leader and the party's Education spokesman.

"Admittedly the results have been compared with poorly performing school nationwide but it means that the standard is still higher than that achieved by thousands of school children.

"And the reason why the inmates have done so well is attributed to discipline and a higher teacher:pupil ratio.

"Children do better in smaller classes but as we all know many schools face overcrowding because of uncontrolled immigration and many have to cater for children for whom English is not their first language, adding to demands on teachers' time.

"Ironically while a lack of discipline in their lives may well have landed them in the YOI in the first place it is discipline there that is helping them achieve good grades and skills for the future.

"The lack of control in classrooms up and down this country is a great concern to parents. This summer government data showed the number of assaults on teachers by pupils had risen to a staggering 93 per day.

"We must bring back discipline to the classroom for the sake of our children as well as the staff," said Mr Nuttall.