Should the National press report on primary school lockdowns?

[Lazytiger]

Why aren’t the national press reporting the primary school lockdown near Birmingham? Only GB news and local news outlets reported it. I haven’t seen anything in the broadsheets/TV news.

AIBU to expect the National UK press to report things that happen in the UK?

In the last two days two school lockdowns have been reported, but only locally.

One was a report of schools in Weston-super-Mare that locked down due to a suspect person with a knife. The second was a school near Birmingham called Shireland Hall primary Academy. Where a gang wearing balaclavas and carrying weapons entered the school and threatened teachers and pupils.

Am I being unreasonable to expect the press to report what is happening in this country?

You may argue that the first schools didn’t come to any harm so perhaps nationally reporting something that would just cause concern is the right thing to do (I don’t, but understand others might) But the second school, I feel, should have been more widely reported. Perhaps it will be. But it happened on Tuesday and it is now Thursday.

Googling the school in Birmingham I was surprised to see Birmingham live have reported several lockdowns over the year and other schools in other areas come up in the search too.

I recall a while ago that we had rolling news on the fires in California. Other than telling us there had been fires in California the 24-7 News coverage wasn’t adding much detail. There were plenty of complaints at the time that this was to distract the population from the ongoing Rotherham case. Something that was of far more interest to the UK population. Thankfully the media didn’t succeed and people didn’t forget about those girls.

Is this the same reason for the under reporting - race relations?

Regardless of the worry these incidents may cause in the wider population I feel it is the job of the UK press to report these and to not, on our behalf, decide what we should be told and what we shouldn’t.

We had to listen to how many people died ‘with’ covid on a daily basis, yet there seems to be zero interest in reporting ongoing threats to our children.

I was at school on London during the 80/90s.

We'd lock down about once a month during IRA campaign.

I got time off school due to Bishopsgate/Canary Wharf and John Lewis bombs.

I bet loads of people reading this will have to go google these bombs...

Because you have been called out over your inaccuracies? The Southport killer was born in Cardiff BTW.

What?! 😂

Honestly I don’t know what to say. And so many people have replied I am not replying to each of you. Perhaps this is what the OP are talking about. That unless someone is stabbed to death then lockdowns are not worthy news.

I don’t think it’s my understanding here which is troubled. In the statement itself it says that he entered the playing fields (by scaling over a fence). And was then found rummaging through the bins. And you think the bins are where? Outside the school? On the other side of the playing fields? No. They are blatantly next to the building.

The thing which makes this troubling is that this man had targeted two schools in short succession. A considerable distance from one another. After being spoken to by police for the first incident. He knew it had caused distress and triggered people panicking about a potential major incident.

It’s not a conspiracy. It’s quite clear what’s happened.

It's not actually and a lot of times police won't be called.

In the snake example I gave above, no police called and classrooms were locked down purely because we didn't need a few undred kids wandering past this snake or prodding at it, or screaming because "omg, a snake!". We needed the corridor empty while the owner came and collected it. Needing corridors empty is a reason for many lockdowns. Example, TA falls off a ladder and hurts herself. We would need the corridor empty because a, it's upsetting for the children to see that and b, it's not good for her or her right to dignity and c, space is needed for first aid to be given and/or paramedics to get in there - all much more difficult with kids milling around.

Another reason for lockdown, swarm of bees. Kids would need to be gotten inside quickly with doors and windows shut then locked down to the inside of the building until the swarm has passed or is collected.

A fire or an incident elsewhere might create lockdown. Someone got hit by a car on the road at a near school nearby and the ambulance landed on the school field. School was locked down with children kept in classrooms and windows/blinds closed because they had a view of the road and it wasn't good for them to see or hear the man dying under a car. We also didn't need any of them going outside where the helicopter was.

Lockdowns happen for all sorts of reasons, not all of them are police incidents.

Not a conspiracy?

https://fullfact.org/education/uk-school-lockdown-drill-footage-2017-not-2025/

Also just FYI any local news site with LIVE In the name like Birmingham Live is owned by Reach - they’re the Mirror/Star/Express. So the national news have decided it’s best on the local page because lockdowns where nothing happened aren’t of national interest.

This one?

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2110240/essex-schools-lockdown-updates-manhunt

An Essex Police spokesperson said: "We’ve made an arrest after reports of a man trying car doors in Waltham Abbey. [He is] in custody on suspicion of vehicle interference. [There was] one report of him on a Loughton school field on September 17, looking in bins. No other school-related incidents [have been] reported, despite inaccurate claims."

I agree, and I think people like the OP need to fuck all the way off. Just transparently scaremongering with utter shit.

This. 100%.

And I try not to judge too much because of the amount of effort from grifters that goes into suckering in gullible people but it's so hard sometimes.

Yes so I am not quite sure who’s having a problem here. Essex police writing skills, or people’s comprehension skills. I do agree they have set out the information in a format as clear as mud.

If you read the information in its entirety…

Turning to an incident involving the same suspect – who is a rough sleeper – accessing school grounds in Loughton on Wednesday 17 September.

ie. A lockdown

This individual accessed an area of school playing field, where he was reported to be seen looking in the bins for food.
Related to Loughton

Next day…

Initial reports suggested that the suspect, who is the same man who was arrested after allegedly breaking into a school near Epping on Wednesday, had attempted to gain access to Leverton Primary School. However, Essex Police have since said this is untrue and there have been "no offences, threats or issues relating to school property". Leverton Primary School in Waltham Abbey in Essex confirmed to the Express that it entered lockdown security measures at around midday on Thursday.

So either the express and the video footage of THE police I have seen are both lying (note the police have NOT said that this school did not go into lockdown). Or the school did in fact go into lockdown due to the presence of this man.

And that’s exactly the issue. It is apparently not a criminal offence to enter a school.

As I said they are presenting this information clear as mud.

So yes my belief is this man has caused two schools into lockdown; directly and/or indirectly.

The OP came here with some poorly-formulated thoughts about how 'our' kids are being put in danger and this is being kept from us by the media. And because of the GB News mention in the first post, there's an obvious underlying narrative about race and migrants. It didn't quite go the way they wanted though, so now they're on their soapbox about school lockdowns for some unfathomable reason.

A school lockdown drill is no different to a fire drill. An actual lockdown where there turns out to be no threat, is no different to a fire alarm when someone burns their toast.

Also OP, you're talking about not being able to avoid news about the Beckhams and other celebrities, which suggests to me that you just need to read some different newspapers.

Oh I judge. I judge HARD.

There was a lockdown in our sleepy village school last week, and GB News could legitimately have said it was due to a dangerous intruder. The dangerous intruder was in fact a cow which had escaped.

Well only if it was a brown cow! Or a foreign import

What colour was the cow? That might determine the extent to which GB News might be interested.

X post!

Me too.

There was no lockdown in the Loughton school. He left the premises quietly.

Lordy, you are persistent. They are multiple holes in the fence. He didn't 'scale' anything. And I'm not clear the Waltham Abbey incident was anything to do with a school, just vehicles.

I think you are trying to whip up panic here OP. I don’t think this thread is in good faith. And Shireland Hall is in Sandwell, not Birmingham.

Every school in the country has to have a lockdown policy in case of incidents such as a possible danger on or outside of the school premises. This has been the case for around 15 years to my knowledge. Every child in the school should be made aware of the process to follow should this be needed. It’s not a big deal, comes under emergency planning. If your DC have never mentioned to you that they have had such training or a practice, it’s because it’s not a big deal to them. Which is how it should be. No need to panic your children.’

No I'm not and I don't think you are particularly adding to the debate with this comment. I don't live anywhere near the school and read the news in Birmingham live.

So I've done my own research and a teacher relative went looking for some data for me.

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/lockdown-the-schools-forced-to-take-emergency-measures/

I found this helpful. I still think the national newspapers should be reporting on this - parents shouldn't have to search through business publications to understand what is happening in schools and why.

Thank you to those who took the time to engage. For those who just slithered in to expose their fangs, you can retract now and go bite someone else.

I hope you read that article properly because it warns of overreacting parents causing problems, and the high level of lockdowns that were false alarms. Even the article you're citing to support you shows that it's not the issue you think it is

Seriously, you have been living under a rock if you don't understand the media were trying to paint this 'choir boy' as Aled Jones to detract from his background.

My other inaccuracies are geographic because I'm dictating these posts while reading others. They don't detract from the point.

This isn't a post about race it is about lack of media coverage of something that I think is important. Others clearly would rather not know what's going on in schools up and down the country and think anyone who does is a spreading conspiracy theories. Silly me for not realising Mumsnet is not just a collective hive but also a vipers nest waiting to pounce on every word, while missing the bigger picture and adding nothing to the discussion.

Thankfully I have people IRL to discuss these issues with and am now satisfied that I understand the current situation.