ABSTRACT
School exclusion is a major problem affecting not only particular social groups in which it is common but also society as a whole. It has become closely associated with the wider problem of social exclusion and, not surprisingly therefore, solutions are sought through a holistic strategy aimed at a range of social problems, involving voluntary and private sectors as well as the public sector. The education system cannot solve all the problems associated with the social exclusion of young people; but it can play a pivotal role. Various educational strategies, some of which are specific to particular social groups, are now being implemented with a view to achieving a reduction in school exclusion, which is linked to under-achievement and a range of social problems. Furthermore, the involvement of parents and the family in helping to ensure better school attendance and behaviour is a recurrent theme throughout almost all of the educational policy initiatives in recent years and is stressed in the revised DFEE guidance on school exclusion (DFEE 1999a: para. 2.1).
