Blaming schools for exclusions

Blaming schools for the "practice of taking children off-roll without formally excluding them", whilst ignoring all the factors which lead schools to resort to such desperate measures, is plainly ridiculous (School exclusions "put children at risk of gang grooming", 15.07.18). Would it not be preferable for the children`s commissioner for England to protest at the way schools are increasingly judged by results, despite the undoubted underfunding, leading to inevitable staffing crises and reduced curricula?

      This is not to minimise the huge problem of gang violence, but analysing data and asking "the government to give advice", when the real solutions lie in proper funding, both for experts working in schools and for more referral units, seem totally inappropriate. Perhaps the commissioner could devote some time to criticising public schools which are increasingly sidelining both GCSE and A-level examinations? Their preference for examinations, often set and marked by teachers in the independent sector, and organised by Cambridge Assessment, looks to have much to do with improving results. A recent FOI request revealed far higher percentages of entrants for Pre-U exams gaining A*/A grades than at A-level, with, for example, 75% of public school entries for English Literature last year gaining A*/A grades, compared to A-level`s 25%. How many state-educated pupils with brilliant A-level results were denied their places in the top universities by devious  practices in the private sector?