There have been several school stabbing incidents in recent years

Fears over violence in schools have prompted an increasing number of complaints from teachers.

But deaths from violent attacks remain "extremely rare" and there is no pattern suggesting an increase in such incidents, says a leading figure in England's local education authorities.

Graham Lane, education chairman for the Local Government Association, was speaking after the death of a 15-year-old boy at a school in Lincolnshire.

Mr Lane says that even though there might be a "knife culture" in some areas, there has been a concerted effort by school authorities to stop pupils from bringing knives into school.

It would be a really sad day if children have to go through metal detectors when they go to school Margaret Morrissey, National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations

This has often made schools safer places than the violence children can face on the streets outside, he says.

The Department for Education and Skills says that there is no centralised record keeping on such violent incidents - but Mr Lane says that he believes that there is typically about one such fatal incident a year.

'Traumatic'

"Every time it happens it's a deeply traumatic event for everyone," he says. "But these are one-off tragedies."

Earlier this year there have been non-fatal stabbing incidents at secondary schools in Suffolk and Hackney and last year there was a stabbing outside a school in Hertfordshire.

A 15 year old pupil was stabbed to death outside his school in Manor Park, east London, two years ago.

Three years ago, 10 year old Damilola Taylor was killed on his way home from school in Peckham, south London.

Eight years ago, head teacher Philip Lawrence was stabbed to death outside his school in Maida Vale, west London.

In response to this murder, legislation to clamp down on the possession of knives on school premises was rushed through Parliament.

This included police being given powers to search for weapons on school premises.

Boycotts

Teachers' leaders have recently complained of the level of violence from pupils, often aimed at school staff.

The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers says that it does not want to comment on the death of the schoolboy in Lincolnshire on Tuesday.

But the union has recently publicised how teachers are increasingly refusing to teach violent pupils.

So far this year there have been 25 school ballots to boycott pupils who staff believe to be a danger to teachers and fellow pupils.

In explaining this tactic, the union listed a catalogue of violent incidents which had taken place in schools this year, including a disabled cleaner being punched and kicked at a school in Essex.

In another violent incident reported by the union, a 12-year-old pupil in Hampshire seriously assaulted a teacher, hitting her in the stomach with a brush handle and causing her internal bleeding.

In a case in the north-east of England, a 14-year-old male pupil repeatedly hit another pupil's head against the wall. When a teacher attempted to stop this, the pupil punched her in the face.

Head teachers' leader, John Dunford, said that it was too early to speculate on "wider issues" following from the school death in Lincolnshire.

Television violence

The Department for Education and Skills issued a statement saying: "While we would not wish to comment in detail while this incident is subject to investigation, the death of any child in any circumstances is tragic, and our thoughts are with the boy's family."

The National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations condemned the influence of violence on television and warned that Britain might have to consider metal detectors at school entrances, following the example of inner-city schools in the United States.

"It would be a really sad day if children have to go through metal detectors when they go to school," said the NCPTA's spokesperson, Margaret Morrissey.

"We don't want that to happen but it's getting to the point when you wonder when you say goodbye to your child when they go to school how permanent that is.

"I don't think you can blame schools for this. This is something that society has got to take on board. Even the soaps are violent now," she said.