Original Article

NO SECURITY GUARDS FOR TROUBLED SCHOOL

RICHARD BRAMWELL

10:17 - 10 December 2003

Proposals to employ private security guards at a school where racial tension erupted into violence between white and Asian youths have been rejected by education chiefs.

The move was among a series of suggestions made by police during talks with officials from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and teachers at Longton High in Meir.

The meeting followed two outbreaks of fighting at the school within two months, which officers said were racially-motivated.

Seven people were arrested following the last disturbances in November in which an Asian pupil and a white youngster were allegedly attacked.

One youth has appeared in court charged with racially aggravated assault and several others remain on police bail, pending further inquiries.

A number of ways to improve security at the Box Lane school were discussed following the incidents, but education officials at the city council say hiring private security guards is not an option.

A spokesman said today: "We've already told the police that we don't feel it's appropriate to have security guards in our schools.

"The issues in the school are under control. We have asked the police to deal with the problems on the periphery which are being caused by troublemakers who are not pupils of the school."

In a statement issued in November, headteacher Jan Webber said the school and education authority were "fed up of our pupils being intimidated by outsiders".

Inspector Andy Jolley, commander of Longton police, said: "There was a meeting between the police, local education authority and the school, and a number of options were considered.

"Employing security guards was one of them, but it doesn't seem they are going for that option."

All parents were invited to a meeting with school staff following the November trouble and 25 people attended.

The council spokesman added: "All were very supportive of the school and headteacher, and they want to work actively with the head to ensure that positive developments get noticed in the local community."

Parent June Steele, of Meir, whose children Robert, aged 11, and Amy, aged 13, attend the school, welcomed the security guard proposals.

Mrs Steele said she kept Robert off lessons for two days after fighting broke out in September.

"I'd support having the guards there and would appreciate it," she said. "It would be a lot safer for the children - they can't keep on like this"

City councillor Bagh Ali, who has a son at the school, said security guards was not the answer.

He added: "I think this problem can be sorted out by the parents. It's our moral obligation to do our duty and work with the education authority, the teachers and the children to put an end to it."

Author

John Haywood of the Guild commented "Sadly, some people still have to wake up and smell the coffee. Behavoural modification of pupils by parents is not going to happen over night and indeed, in todays society, there are many parents that simply do not care what their off-spring get up to, in, or out of school.

I can go back ten years when I was involved in a pilot scheme in Nottingham which introduced Dog Handlers into main stream schools because of violence. On the very first day we detained two pupils for throwing knives and within a few weeks, violent incidents had become a rarity, instead of an everyday occurance."