PROBLEM pupils should be praised and given prizes to encourage them to behave, education bosses said today.

New guidance on improving classroom behaviour said teachers should reward children five times as often as they punish them for disrupting lessons.

A more positive approach can help improve relations with parents who have become `tired' of receiving letters home about their children's poor behaviour, the document said.

The recommendations from the Department for Education and Skills said: "It has long been established that rewards are more effective than punishment in motivating pupils. By praising and rewarding positive behaviour, others will be encouraged to act similarly."

The guidance stated: "Praise begins with frequent use of encouraging language and gestures, both in lessons and around the school, so that positive behaviour is instantly recognised and positively rewarded.

Prizes

"A more formal system of credits, merits and prizes can also be used to recognise and congratulate pupils when they set a good example or show improvement in their behaviour."

The document suggested that rewards might include `good news' postcards home, special privileges or prizes.

Schools should also make sure that praise is not concentrated solely on the best-behaved pupils.

"It is advisable to pay attention to those who have previously been associated with poor behaviour or who have been less likely to meet standards so that it is not always the same (good) pupils who receive praise and rewards.

"Striking the right balance between rewarding pupils with consistently good behaviour and those achieving improvement in their behaviour is important.

"This can help improve relations with parents who have become tired of receiving letters and phone calls when things go wrong."

Sanctions

The guidance also stresses that schools should use sanctions when pupils see them as `fair'.

Teachers should not impose whole-class detentions or other sanctions which `punish the innocent as well as the guilty'. And staff should avoid imposing `severe' sanctions early, and reserve them for the most serious bad behaviour.

Under new powers which came into force this month, teachers have a legal right to discipline pupils and can punish them for bad behaviour outside school.

But the guidance on how the powers should be used states that teachers cannot discipline pupils outside schools if they see them, for example, insulting members of the public on public transport.

Punishments must wait until the children get back to school.

Learn more about the measures from the DfES website .