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Telfords No mans land
There is a “No Mans” land that nobody wants to take responsibility for, yet every parent, grand parent and child should be concerned about it.
You may recall the podcast, the news pieces covering a 999 call to the Police which was made after my children suffered a racist attack near the Sutherland School in July 2007.
On this occasion, not only were they forced to fight, my eldest daughter was robbed of various possessions.
A 999 call was made, with my wife being told this number was for emergencies only.
I was in with the headmaster who said the problem is not theirs but the Police’s.
Despite having been in the school and liaising with the Police, face to face and over what is now several hundred telephone calls, there is still a “No Mans” land that no one wants to take responsibility for.
Having seen young people experience attacks and some being racist attacks, something needs to be done to clear this grey area of misunderstanding between the Police and Schools.
I have spoken with the LEA who refer you back to the school, tried to get Cllr Stephen Burrell to speak on this issue, when he finally answered my email, he referred me onto someone else and this someone else had previously referred me onto someone else.
Whilst this constant stream of passing the book is going on, young people are or have been bullied and the people who should be in a position to do something – DON’T.
The area of “No mans” Land I refer to is outside school.
The school say they have
“NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CHILD ONCE THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SCHOOL GATES”
The Police Say
“DON’T COME TO US, GO TO THE SCHOOL”
As far as the police are concerned, the young persons behaviour is the responsibility of the school, whilst the young person is in school uniform.
As far as the school are concerned, it is the responsibility of the Police.
Some additional issues –
There is a gang culture in some schools
There is bullying of students in schools by other students
There are students who threaten and intimidate teachers in school and in some cases, as has happened in the Sutherland, the teachers say nothing, but have said to parents
“They’ll be gone in six months”
The result
Bullying is allowed to continue.
Teachers will not come forward because some feel they will loose face and / or respect from their colleagues
It spills out from the school, into the street and into this “No mans” Land.
We are and have entered into a culture of violence. In truth and lets be honest, we have not slept walked into this, we as a society have have entered into it with or eyes wide open.
It is with regret, that we not only in Telford, but also the UK have become dulled to the violence and society itself has modified its behaviour accordingly.
How:-
By not going out after a certain time.
By turning a blind to the thug.
By not going forward to give evidence through fear of reprsals.
By saying, its not on my doorstep.
By not going to the Certain pub.
By not going to that certain club.
By not walking past that certain persons house.
By not entering into that specific post code.
These are all ways, in which we have modified our behaviour and have handed increasing amounts of control over to the thug.
We have to start doing something and initially it has to start with something we all hove on common.
We all know schools.
We all know Young people.
We all know the results of bullying
We all know something has to be done
And
We have to have a starting point
I will be raising a petition to put forward to the Police and the Council about formulating a formal policy and understanding about who is responsible for this “No mans” Land and ultimately responsible for these fights, attacks, anti-social behaviour etc etc. that are common place before and after the close of school.
This is no over reaction, but I for one could not live with myself knowing that I could possibly have done something and didn’t then a young person is either killed or seriously injured in one of our communities.
I can assure you now, end of term fights are already in the planning stage between various youth groups and various locations but unfortunately, it will be on this “No mans” Land that know one wants to take responsibility for.
The Petition will be raised today – I will notify you accordingly and I hope you can give, what is an important issue your support and hopefully get family and friends to sign it, either online of by printing it off.
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