Cameron: My new school rules

He would abolish a "no touching rule" that leaves school staff at risk of legal action if they restrain children who are being unruly.

The move was part of a package of measures designed to restore discipline in classrooms.

Schools would get stronger powers to expel difficult pupils and would not be forced to accept the same number of youngsters thrown out by other schools. At the same time parents would lose the right to appeal against expulsion and there would be no financial penalties on school budgets after expulsions.

Headteachers would get a new power to ban any item they felt caused disruption in classes - which could include mobile phones or MP3 players.

Teachers would have the right to search pupils for banned items and confiscate them, which the Tories said would require abolishing current guidance to schools that children can refuse to be searched.

Staff would be protected from malicious allegations made by pupils who wanted revenge. A teacher would not be suspended unless there was a clear case for disciplinary action or criminal charges. They would remain anonymous during disciplinary action until wrongdoing was proved.

Mr Cameron, who spent a week in a classroom a year ago learning about the problems of dealing with unruly pupils, said: "It's a real change in the terms of trade we are looking for."

He said expulsions were vital to successful schools. "If we leave badly behaved kids in the class and do nothing with them, we are failing them all over again.

"Above all its about saying to schools you are in charge of your own destiny."

A third of teachers have been physically attacked and nearly one in five threatened with a weapon, he said.

Labour said the Government had already abolished the no touch rule in some circumstances.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "We have listened to teachers and given them the powers they asked for, but David Cameron's proposals are gimmicks which have not been properly thought through."