ABSTRACT
Since the establishment of the National Exclusions Reporting System (NERS, 1990) the topic of pupil exclusion has been of increasing concern to educationists and others who work with children and young people. The current interest has a long pedigree and, while it is not our intention to provide a historical review, it is worth acknowledging the work of Galloway et al. (1982) and Grunsell (1980). These authors help to consolidate a view that the current scenario, in which exclusion from school is primarily a birthright of the disadvantaged, represents a picture of educational conditions that have changed little over time.
