Commenting on proposals by the Home Office that could make
schools accountable for failing to stop violent
crime, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint
General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Neither the blame for or the solution to violent crime can be
laid at the door of schools or front-line hospital staff. Schools
already have strong safeguarding practices in place and staff
will be altered to any issues of concern. The problem is what
happens after issues of concern have been identified. Schools
have lost pastoral support, special needs teachers and school
councillors.
“Too many families and communities have suffered the devastating
consequences of violent crime. It needs real solutions put in
place to prevent yet more incidents occurring – solutions that
address the causes and not just the symptoms.
“The Home Secretary should accept the impact the decimation of
youth services has had, leaving very few safe places for children
to go outside of school hours or during the holidays. The severe
cutbacks to support services to deal with behaviour issues that
occur in and outside of schools are also a major issue. Schools
sometimes, but always reluctantly, have to exclude pupils.
However, the illegal off-rolling of pupils who too often drop
through the system with no adequate safety net to catch them
cannot be justified. To stop this happening schools need the
resources, support and funding to cope with pupils with
additional needs and we need an accountability system that does
not penalise schools who are working with children with complex
needs.”
