School staff will need body armour when new powers to search pupils for weapons come into force, a teaching union says. Teachers are now able to authorise staff or security guards to carry out such searches.
The Professional Association of Teachers says staff who carry out searches must be trained and should have access to protective clothing.
But the National Association of Head Teachers says where there is a clear risk teachers should call the police.
General Secretary Mick Brookes from Nottinghamshire said his union was advising teachers not to tackle pupils they believed to be concealing a weapon such as a knife.
"Where there's a clear danger our advice to members is to call the police who are equipped and trained to do just this sort of thing."
Solicitor David Brierley from Derby-based union the PAT said the Department for Education and Skills guidelines, due to be published on Thursday, set out useful advice for difficult situations.
"Rather than just conducting a weapons search, the process should be risk-assessed. We would like protective clothing to be considered as part of the risk assessment."
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