The number of extended suspensions for unruly schoolchildren is on a steady decline, but objections against the disciplinary measure for serious violations against the Ministry of Education?s Code of Conduct are rising.

Education Minister Terry Lister sees good news in both sets of figures, he told the House of Assembly Friday. ?I am pleased to inform you that only 19 extended suspension hearings were held during the 2003/2004 school year of middle and senior school students only,? he said in a Ministerial statement.

In 2001/02, 43 requests for extended suspensions were received by the Ministry, compared to 26 in 2002/03. ?The fact that the number of requests for extended suspension has dropped by 44 percent over the last three years is a remarkable accomplishment,? Mr. Lister said.

Actual suspensions last year amounted to 17 or 0.6 percent of the middle and senior school population, and 0.3 percent of the entire school population.

?On average, those students who receive an extended suspension this school year were out of school for an additional seven school days beyond the initial five days that the principal imposed.?

Mr. Lister went on to say that the 2003/04 school year saw ten appeals against the extended suspensions, while there had been no appeals in 2001/02 and just one in 2002/03.

?These figures suggest to me that parents are becoming more inclined to challenge the schools and the Ministry of Education and Development. I am supportive of questions from parents as it is only when challenged to examine a matter from a different point of view that new possibilities emerge.?

Principals are allowed to suspend students from school for up to five days, according to the 2003 Code of Conduct.

Beyond that they must ask the Ministry for an extension, and a process involving a hearing with the student, parent and school representatives is held, the Minister explained.

?The student?s attendance and academic reports are reviewed and an assessment of the support that the student is receiving at school or in the community is performed.

?It is also determined, in accordance with policy, if the school has provided the student with work to do at home while on suspension,? Mr. Lister added.

?I want to make it clear that the numbers of students who find themselves in this predicament has been declining over the past few years and I attribute that to earlier intervention by both parents and teachers, coupled with a committed team of counselling and other support networks that we have within the public system and in the community more generally.?

Extensions are only requested with serious infractions and the most common alleged infractions this school year were students fighting or attacking other students, student attack on staff or other (non student), drug violations, possessing an offensive or prohibited weapon and sexual misconduct, Mr. Lister reported.

?These five infractions consistently occurred each school year,? Mr. Lister continued. ?The infraction entitled Disruption of Class/School is noted each year as well.?

He added that there is at least one major incident involving more than one student per school every year and that at least one student a year receives two extended suspensions.