Beyond 'Disruptions': A Critical Exploration of the Necessity of School Exclusions

This problem-based thesis examines how the necessity of school exclusion evolves in everyday school life. Even though the individual child’s ‘disruption’ is the main reference point when school managers justify their use of school exclusions, I show how many other elements play in, such as financial concerns, parent-school collaboration, and school reputation. I argue that we need to overcome the dichotomy between ‘tolerance’ and sanctions and acknowledge other ways of taking the ‘disruptions’ and the underlying conflicts seriously. How to handle ‘disruptions’ is primarily a pedagogical decision and, therefore, we must look into the teaching-learning practice, where the ‘disruptions’ evolve.

Situating the nexus of ‘disruptions’ and exclusions in practice, this thesis shows how classroom expulsions are used in situations where a vicious circle of chaos takes over, and the teaching-learning practice is about to fall apart. Many ‘disruptions’ consist of children attempting to secure their inclusion among peers in a conflictual class community of social panic. Here, teachers’ attempts to insist on the teaching agenda contribute to an escalating contradiction between the teaching agenda and students’ social relations. Exclusions are often seen as a means to order, but I show how exclusions can contribute to the splitting of the practice into mutual ‘disruptions’, and thus, rather is a ‘means’ to chaos.

The teachers’ focus on the teaching agenda can be seen in connection with political panic about securing Denmark’s welfare system in a globalized world of increased international competition. At the same time, the state administration no longer relies on teachers as civil servants and therefore, a much tighter control with their work is deemed necessary. These political changes put a pressure on teaching-learning practice that through an escalating conflicts can lead to school exclusions. I argue that we need to give teachers more flexibility in their work so that they can engage in a democratic dialogue with students about what is meaningful to learn in school and thereby develop their common practice beyond ‘disruptions’.