Students also seem to feel more secure at school now than just a few years ago

US government research

The report, by the Education and Justice Departments, claims only 42 of the 3,000 children who were murdered (or committed suicide) in the school year 1997-98 died at school.

In the same year, 253,000 pupils - aged 12 to 18 - were victims of serious crimes like rape and robbery at school.

This compares to 550,000 who were subject to such crimes while they were away from school.

The study suggests the rate of children who reported instances of crime while in school fell from 10% in 1995 to 8% in 1999.

The number of students bringing weapons to school dropped 25% between 1993 and 1997.

"Students also seem to feel more secure at school now than just a few years ago," the report states.

But critics have dismissed the findings, saying that students and teachers may have been unwilling to report all the instances of crime and violence that occur in their schools.