"Pupils wearing stab vests to school..."

[ibblewob]

Times article here

I KNOW they're scaremongering, and it's the small minority, but I'm still glad we're going to HE!

[IAmTheNewQueenOfMN]

if you KNOW they are scaremonering, why is it working on you

[Hulababy]

FWIW I have been in many schools and never seen children wearing such attire. Even in the school in special measres, where discipline and behaviour were areas for concern, it as nowhere near as extreme as this.

I suspect this article is talking about just a handful of schools out of the hundreds there are in the UK.

[seeker]

That is such a crap article - it says nothing at all and I have NEVER heard of children wearing stab vests.

If you know it's scare-mongering, why are you pandering to them and perpetuating it? I don't think that's a very responsible thing to do, frankly.

[TheFallenMadonna]

There are lots of excellent reasons to HE. This isn't one of them.

[ibblewob]

Yeah, well maybe you lot don't live in East London? We have police outside our secondary schools as routine, every morning and afternoon. It's not so far fetched as you might think.

[ibblewob]

And actually, that was a contributing factor in our decision to HE.

[Hulababy]

No, I don't live in East London but I know of people who have taught there. As I said before the article is talking about a very small handful of schools, amongst several hundred schools throughout the UK.

The article is scaremongering and nothing more.

[DisasterArea]

i send mine in full body armour.

[ibblewob]

Oh well, that will serve me right for posting when I'm supposed to be doing bathtime!

[seeker]

There's a huge difference between having police outside the school, which happens on occasion everywhere - and children routinely wearing stab proof vests to school.

There are good reasons, in some circumstances, to home educate. This isn't one of them.

[seeker]

No - but it might serve you right for posting without thinking!

[peasholme]

The comment is unintentionally hilarious:

"What a mess Britain has become because I lived elsewhere for 35 years. And South Africa has become the same in the last 15 years" wrote B J Dellar of Marbella Spain.

At least we know who is responsible! Come back B J Dellar!

[ibblewob]

But surely reasons to HE are personal to whoever decides to do it? That article is relevant to me and the area and situation I'm in. Obviously most people don't agree, but why is that 'posting without thinking'?

I really didn't mean that this was the norm... but is everyone else fine with a police presence being necessary to a place where they're sending their children? Even if stab vests are exaggerated (in most places).

[seeker]

I would be surprised if the police weren't present occasionally at any place where 1500 11-18 year olds spend a lot of time, to be honest.

And the reason I talked about posting without thinking is that scaremongering is really not a good idea on a forum where lots of people are very worried (sometimes justified, sometimes not) about their children's schools and have no choices open to them.

And actually, I think there are lots of reasons for home educating, but reaction to a piece of lazy journalism isn't one of them!

[ibblewob]

Good point, next time I'll remember not to post in the in the Schools section. Oh, hang on a minute...

[cory]

The article seemed to suggest that one of the main dangers was the route to school. So HE would hardly be a safer alternative. Unless you'd HE by keeping your children safely locked up at home.

[cory]

The danger is clearly in a very few limited areas of London, not in schools.

[seeker]

I'm sorry ibblewob - but you must admit it was a BONKERS article!

[chocolatedot]

You should presumably think about moving if youre that concerned about it.

[cory]

I always thought that a reason for Home Educating was so that children could move around in the community. At least that is what people on this forum keep telling me.

Surely if you live in an area where kids are bringing weapons to school because they might get attacked on the way there, then you are not exactly going to be keeping them safe by letting them loose in the community?

And home educating by keeping your children safe inside the house/under constant parental supervision sounds very unhealthy to me and against everything Mumsnet has taught me about home education. If things are really that bad where you live, you need to move so you can give your children a better life.

[WilyWombat]

I live in a gorgeous quiet village, we walk to school and the worst thing likely to happen on the way is treading on a dog poo if someone hasnt cleaned up.

There are plenty of places in the UK you could live where this stuff doesnt (or very rarely) happens...of course the pay isnt as good here!

[cory]

I live in a fairly sizeable southern town, supposed to contain some of the most miserable teenagers in the UK (as per a recent survey ); yet dog poo is just about as scary as it gets.

[ibblewob]

No, you're right seeker, the article was crap. I could have linked to any number of newspapers that would have covered the NASUWT commissioned report better ( the independant goes into a bit more depth).

chocolatedot, I am concerned about it, and we would love to move at some point. But all our friends and family on both sides live in this area (I've lived here my whole life), so that's why we're not considering that at the moment.

cory, my 3 year old is definitely under constant parental supervision at the moment! But you do have to be careful. The youth worker at our church was mugged by a group of teenagers walking back from the station at around 10pm a few days ago (lost wallet, phone and ipod). It may be that some kids do get to have more freedom than others.

Also, I don't think these kids are miserable, this is just what they know. One kid quoted in the report said "you are part of something if you belong to a gang." In deprived areas, I think it can work as a family substitute (albiet a horribly warped one).

I get that this is not the experience of anyone else on mumsnet! I just read the article and it struck a chord with me. A couple of years ago my brother was teaching in a school a few miles down the road, and he had to break up a fight in the canteen when one pupil stabbed another with a fork, ffs. So just because it doesn't apply to you, it doesn't mean that it is not valid for me talk about!

[piscesmoon]

I agree with seeker and cory-to use it as a reason to HE is ridiculous, if not paranoid!
It doesn't happen at a single school in my area. We had a South African to lunch over Christmas. He is in his 20s and working in London, he said that we don't know how lucky we are in this country. He feels very safe-not a feeling he has in South Africa.
You are doing your DC a lot of harm if you bring them up in an atmosphere of fear, where the only safe place is home with mum.

[ibblewob]

I'm sorry piscesmoon, which part of my last response was 'paranoid' and not backed up by stuff that has actually happened?

LOL at the atmosphere of 'fear', we go out all the time: toddler groups, the park, the forest, visiting family and friends, church etc. I just won't be bringing them up to hang around on street corners late at night, or sending them to the local schools that need a police patrol to keep order.

I'm a bit suprised that I'm being flamed for this.

FWIW, I never said it was THE reason to HE - we'd already decided on it before I became aware that this was the situation around here (it certainly wasn't when I was at school). But it does back up my desire to provide a 'different' environment for my children to grow up in. (And all you none HE-ers out there, please know that that does NOT mean exclusively 'home with mum').