ASCL comment on knife crime proposals

Responding to reports that teachers could be held accountable for preventing knife crime and serious violence under proposals from the Home Office, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“It is hard to see how it would be either workable or reasonable to make teachers accountable for preventing knife crime. What sort of behaviour would they be expected to report and who would they report to? How would they be held accountable, for what, and what would the consequences be? How would the government prevent the likelihood of over-reporting caused by the fear of these consequences? Aside from the practical considerations, we have to ask whether it is fair to put the onus on teachers for what is essentially a government failure to put enough police on the streets.”