The police were called in to remove a nine-year-old student who entered the San Ġwann Primary School premises yesterday in breach of a suspension order issued by the education authorities after he attacked his teacher.

The boy, who is known to suffer from behavioural problems, attacked his teacher with a paper knife on Wednesday after she refused him permission to leave the classroom.

A spokesman for the Education Ministry said the boy yesterday entered the school playground in the afternoon as other students were playing.

"The school head immediately rounded up the children to avoid any problems and called in the police to remove the suspended pupil from the school precincts," the spokesman said, pointing out that no incidents were reported.

The school has strict orders not to allow the student in until an assessment of his behavioural problems is carried out and a decision taken by the authorities on the best way forward.

The boy slightly injured his teacher after attacking her with a paper knife used in art classes. He hit her in the arm and the teacher had to struggle to remove the paper knife from the boy's hand.

The incident took place at San Ġwann Primary School B, which forms part of St Clare's College.

A learning support assistant assigned to the boy was also slightly injured when the boy pushed her to get to the teacher.

This was not the first time the boy had over reacted to small matters, sources said.

The school authorities called in the boy's parents and he was immediately suspended pending investigations.

The spokesman said the boy would not return before it was ascertained that he was no longer a danger to teachers or his classmates.

In a similar incident in October 2008, a state school teacher, who was sitting at her desk, was poked in the eye with a crayon by a five-year-old student.