200+ UK Schools Use Isolation Booths As Educational Measure

A BBC News investigation has just revealed a hair-raising statistic about UK education. Turns out, more than 200 pupils spent at least five straight days in isolation booths in schools in England last year! The Typical Student team learned more about the use of isolation booths and who gets to spend their time there.

Source: BBC News

Students who are  "regularly disruptive" as well as those with special education needs attended isolation rooms. BBC News interviewed Casey who had been “quite athletic” before he developed myalgia and started taking Tramadol.  Eventually, Casey ended up spending most of his school time in isolation booths time copying out of GCSE revision books, often without a teacher present. Casey commented on the experience: "It made me feel there was no point to learning."

How Many UK Schools Use Isolation Rooms?

Source: BBC News

Here’s what BBC News learned about the use of isolation booths after sending the Freedom of Information requests to more than 1,000 secondary schools and academy chains across the UK.

Isolation booths are used in:

• 200+ schools in England
• 12 in Wales
• 6 in Scotland
• None in Northern Ireland

The majority of schools have the rule under which children can spend up to three consecutive days in isolation. However, 225 pupils in England and 1 in Wales spent a week in isolation booths as a single punishment last year.

Source: BBC News

More shocking facts from BBC News investigation suggest that:

• 5,000+ students with special educational needs in England spent time in isolation;
• children with autism and ADHD have attended isolation;
• one school had 5 separate isolation rooms with an annual cost of more than £170,000;
• 2 schools do not allow pupils to leave the unit all day.