Lewes MP Norman Baker will lead a debate on sensible physical contact between teachers and children in the House of Commons on Tuesday at around 19:00.
Liberal Democrat Norman Baker originally raised the issue in a question in the House of Commons, and then wrote to the Secretary of State. However, the government has failed to admit that current rules, which place an effective ban on teachers ever touching children, put teachers in a difficult position.
This is despite research by MP Norman Baker which shows that 90% of surveyed head teachers in the Lewes constituency are concerned by the current rules governing physical contact between teachers and pupils. Norman will now take on the Government in the adjournment debate this Tuesday in an effort to secure support for hard-working teachers.
Norman Baker said: "It is clear that a huge number of teachers feel extremely uncomfortable with the current situation, and that these overbearing rules are preventing them from doing their jobs properly.
"Almost half of the schools in my constituency reported instances of false complaints being made against teachers. Many local teachers are working in fear of such allegations and are being made to feel increasingly vulnerable.
"Some are so worried about being accused of inappropriate conduct that they feel they cannot comfort a distressed child who has fallen in the playground. The government can no longer pretend that there isn't a problem when the evidence shows that there clearly is."
"I hope that this debate will make it perfectly clear to the government that it is time to wake up, recognise that this problem exists, and that it must be dealt with. It is high time that common sense was returned to our schools so that teachers are allowed to do their jobs."
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