THE number of pupils excluded from Scottish schools for assaults with weapons or abusing alcohol and drugs soared last year.

THE number of pupils excluded from Scottish schools for assaults with weapons or abusing alcohol and drugs soared last year.

Official statistics show there has been a 28% increase in pupils suspended or expelled for weapon attacks, while exclusions involving drink and drugs rose by 15% and 26% respectively.

Overall, there has been an 11% decrease in the proportion of pupils taken out of primary and secondary schools for persistent disobedience, verbal abuse, and insolent or offensive behaviour in the past year. Most categories of exclusion have seen a reduction.

The total decline is the first reduction for four years in the proportion of pupils excluded and ministers welcomed the figures as a sign that behaviour was improving.

However, teaching unions and opposition politicians questioned the scale of the decline and said some disruptive pupils were being kept in schools against teachers' wishes.

The Scottish Government publication Exclusions from Schools 2007-08 yesterday showed there were 39,717 exclusions last year, involving 20,600 pupils - 3% of the total.

Ken Macintosh, schools spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party, described the increase in assaults with weapons as "chilling".

Schools Minister Maureen Watt said the figures proved efforts to improve discipline were working, while Scottish Conservative Liz Smith told of "concern" at the number of pupils being excluded.

Jim Doherty, of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, said repeatedly returning these pupils to classes wasn't "dealing with the problem".