HEADTEACHERS in the North-East gave a mixed response yesterday to Government plans to introduce parenting orders to curb unruly children.

Education Secretary David Blunkett has announced plans to extend the orders, which were introduced last July, to cover youngsters' behaviour inside as well as outside school.

It would give headteachers the power to ask the local education authority to apply to magistrates for an order making parents responsible for enforcing a curfew on the child.

It would also help to address the problem of abusive or violent parents, who could be forced to attend parenting classes.

Headteacher Keith Cotgrave, president of the County Durham branch of the National Association of Headteachers, welcomed the move, last night, saying: "Heads spend an inordinate amount of time on these issues, and any further powers which could help to solve the problems would be welcomed."

Nigel de Grouchy, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters/ Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) said: ''I welcome the targeting of parents who are invariably the prime source of the problem."

But Richard Appleton, headteacher of Eastbourne Comprehensive School, in Darlington, County Durham, said parents needed more help and understanding, not legal action.

"We understand a lot of the difficulties that the parents have, and it would be extremely unusual if we would need to resort to a parenting order," he said.

The plan, which will go to consultation, was announced by Mr Blunkett at the Secondary Heads Association conference in Gwent.

He also announced a £100m boost for schools to pay their experienced teachers £31,000, or £36,000 for those with management responsibilities. The money will become available in 2003.

Other key aspects of his speech were plans to extend the primary school literacy and numeracy drive to secondary schools. From September, 11-to- 14-year-old pupils will be expected to do a minimum of three hours of English and mathematics lessons a week.

As part of the crackdown on disruptive pupils, the number of in-school learning support units, where unruly youngsters are sent instead of being suspended or expelled, will be increased by 50, bringing the total to 1050.