Drop in number of school exclusions in Midlothian
The number of pupils excluded from Midlothian schools continues to fall.
New figures released by the Scottish Government show there were 645 temporary exclusions in the county during 2008/09.
No-one was removed from the register.
The drop follows a national trend.
New services
In Midlothian, the number of exclusions had increased from 2002/03 (560) to 2006/07 when it peaked at 709.
There was a drop to 702 in 2007/08.
Midlothian Council said it had established the TOPS service, which works with young people whose needs are best met outwith mainstream education.
The initiative equips young people with the skills to increase their chances of finding work when they turn 16.
Education spokesman Councillor Peter Boyes said: "We've worked hard to develop new services to allow us to deal with pupils at risk of exclusion while still safeguarding the right of other children to receive an education that is not disrupted by the behaviour of people with challenging behaviour issues."
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