More than a QUARTER of pupils in British schools suffer bullying every month, new figures suggest

Discipline is still an issue in UK classrooms and pupils are in general more bullied and feel less happy than those in other countries.

One in four pupils in the UK – 25 per cent – say in most or every lesson their teacher has to wait a long time for students to quiet down.

While this is slightly lower than the OECD average of 26 per cent, it still appears to be impacting on our students’ academic performance, analysis shows.

Those in the UK who endured chaotic classrooms scored 30 points lower in reading than peers who reported disruption was rare.

In addition, 27 per cent of students in the UK reported being bullied at least a few times a month, compared to 23 per cent on average across OECD countries.

And only 53 per cent of students reported that they are satisfied with their lives, compared with an average of 67 per cent across OECD countries.

Students were more likely to express sadness when they were bullied more frequently.

While this is slightly lower than the OECD average of 26 per cent, it still appears to be impacting on our students’ academic performance, analysis shows (file photo)

Andreas Schleicher, director of education at the OECD said: ‘Students in the UK expressed quite a low level of satisfaction with their lives. It was at the lower end of the spectrum.

‘Disciplinary climate was an important predictor in whether students were happy with their lives.

‘The absence of bullying, the sense of belonging… teacher support, teacher feedback and so on.’