VIOLENCE and verbal abuse, and drugs and alcohol issues, are behind thousands of pupil exclusions from schools in Wales.

More than 4,000 children in state-maintained primary and secondary schools in Gwent were handed permanent or fixed-period exclusions in the last academic year, out of more than 18,000 across Wales.

Of the 18,126 exclusions recorded across the country, physical abuse of a fellow pupil or a member of staff accounted for 4,563 cases last year. This number has risen from the 2016/17 figure of 4,392 such cases.

In terms of verbal abuse of peers or staff leading to exclusions, 2016/17 saw 4,260 pupils receive exclusions. This has risen by more than 400 cases, with 4,666 logged in Wales this academic year.

And last year, 449 exclusions were due to alcohol or drug-related issues. This is down slightly on the previous year, when 457 pupils were excluded for this reason.

The numbers of exclusions in Gwent during the last academic year compared to 2016/17, is as follows:

• Caerphilly recorded the most cases by a distance with 1,254 exclusions. This was a rise of nearly 100 from 2016/17 (1,158);

• Monmouthshire recorded 549, up from 482;

• Torfaen saw a notable decrease in exclusions, logging 610 last year compared to 660 in 2016/17;

• Newport recorded 999 cases, down from 1,017;

• Blaenau Gwent recorded a rise in cases, from 528 to 632.

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“Any form of violence or abuse against staff in our schools is completely unacceptable. We want our schools to be safe and welcoming environments where teachers can get on with their jobs, helping pupils achieve the best they can," said a Welsh Government spokesman.

“There is a duty on local authorities and schools to ensure that schools are a safe environment for all. If at any point the environment within a school becomes unsafe, the school should ensure that the relevant authorities are informed so that appropriate support can be made available.

"We are clear that exclusion should be a last resort and we’re taking action to support schools to ensure this is the case.

"Where exclusion cannot be avoided, our guidance clearly sets out the support schools and local authorities must put in place for all children who have been excluded.”