Teachers could get greater search powers

Teachers should be given greater legal powers to search pupils for drugs, cigarettes and alcohol, the government's schools behaviour advisor says.

Teachers were recently given the legal right to search schoolchildren, but only for knives and other dangerous weapons.

Headmaster Alan Steer, appointed to advise the government on school behaviour, said this power should be extended.

"Although it's fairly traditional if something goes missing in the classroom for a teacher to say 'empty your pockets', they were exposed to an awkward or argumentative parent coming back the following morning saying 'you had no right to do that,'" he told BBC radio.

"What this does is give teachers sensible parenting powers while they are in school which most people would have assumed they had already."

The proposal is included in a report on behaviour prepared for the government by Steer, headmaster of Seven Kings High School in Ilford, east London.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls told Sky News he would be accepting the recommendation.

"The vast majority of kids are doing really well, behaviour is improving . but it is very important to make sure that the small minority can't ruin things for everyone else," Balls said.

The Conservatives said the government was not going far enough.

"They still don't realise that these powers need to be comprehensive, covering all items that could be used for disruption or bullying, like mobile phones," said Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove.