NEWS that the number of York pupil exclusions has doubled in three years could be taken as evidence of a breakdown in school discipline.

In fact, it indicates the precise opposite.

Allowing for our tendency to demonise the younger generation, it would hard to argue that children's behaviour is generally improving. Rude and aggressive youngsters, rarely encountered 15 years ago are, sadly, a part of daily life.

In such a climate it would be more shocking to learn that York schools were now throwing out fewer pupils. The increasing number of exclusions is welcome evidence that headteachers will not tolerate bad behaviour, particularly good news for the majority of well-behaved students.

By the same score, schools with the greatest number of exclusions should not be considered the "worst". High figures are likely to indicate a consistently tough approach to ill-discipline.

Teachers should not be subject to verbal abuse, and a school which automatically suspends a pupil for that offence must be applauded. That said, we hope that the number of exclusions has peaked as this crackdown begins to impose order on all York classrooms.

Our investigation brought the disturbing revelations that one primary age pupil had brought drugs into school, and that 20 students have been excluded for possessing a weapon. If the parents of these children were as strict as the schools we would have far fewer problems.

Updated: 10:49 Friday, June 24, 2005