School knife crime 'overplayed'

By Hannah Richardson Education reporter, BBC News

Knife crime has become an issue in schools after some high profile deaths

Attempts by schools to tackle knife crime risk exaggerating the problem and making things worse, it is claimed.

Schools could inadvertently be celebrating violence through glitzy assemblies and superficial workshops, meant to do the opposite, experts say.

Well-meaning educational drama groups are calling up schools and offering to run workshops which promise to deter children from engaging violence.

But experts fear such programmes could back-fire and glamorise violence.

The deaths of a string of young people in knife attacks in London and other cities have sparked intense media interest.

Schools now have the power to use metal detectors to check their pupils are not carrying dangerous weapons.

People who are anxious about youngsters exaggerate the problem Professor Dennis Hayes

But convener of the Institute of Ideas' education forum, Professor Dennis Hayes, said the issue of knife crime in schools was being over-played.

"Statistically there is no increase in knife crime generally - so why is it such a significant issue?"

But the visiting professor at the Westminster Institute of Education argued that an over-emphasis on the social aspects of learning meant that schools were trying to tackle issues like knife and gun crime.

"As the government starts to say there's an issue to resolve - teachers start to try to do it.

"People who are anxious about youngsters exaggerate the problem," he added.

"There's a general tendency to try to relocate all social problems into schools - it has become about trying to tackle all problems through education."

"If they deal with it in the classroom, that makes it worse because all you do is exaggerate its importance," he said.

'Gunz'

South London history teacher Mark Taylor thinks teachers should not be involved in dealing with such issues and is concerned that the approach being taken in schools could back-fire.

He led an education forum at the Institute of Ideas in London on the issue earlier in the week, which questioned whether the problem of knives in schools was being exaggerated.

One of the teachers at the forum, from Watford, said: "There's more chance of a Martian coming into the majority of schools than a pupil with a knife."

An outdoor activities teacher said: "I used to give my pupils knives for camping, now they think I am offering them weapons!"

Mr Taylor believes the issue of knife crime is an important one, that has to be tackled head-on, but is concerned that workshops could be patronising.

He argued a shallow approach that engaged with a child's emotions rather than their intellect was unlikely to have a deep or lasting effect.

Intellect

It would be better to engage honestly and intellectually with them, he says.

"It is actually quite hard for a child to say why he shouldn't have a knife on the street at the moment.

"It can seem like quite a good idea to have one."

He added: "We had this big glitzy assembly with guns - with a z at the end - at Christmas.

"It turns into a really big celebration of what they're apparently trying to challenge.

"You get people phoning up and coming in, very well meaning, but it totally disrupts normal teaching.

These activities must be carefully designed and head teachers must be sure that the structure and delivery is appropriate for pupils DCSF spokemans

"These assemblies don't work, they really do patronise the children and it's like they're saying; these are inner city children and they won't understand, so we'll just blast them with music."

What's needed, he argues is a more intelligent approach, which engages with a child's intellect.

He suggests studying the role of violence through history instead or analysing why the knife-carrying Baroque painter Caravaggio is still valued as an artist despite his frequent brawling.

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said advice on tackling gang and group offending had been issued last month.

"The vast majority of schools are very safe places and it is a small minority of pupils that are involved in more serious misbehaviour," he said.

"We published guidance for schools in May on tackling gangs and group offending which advises on a range of practical strategies that schools may wish to use to tackle such issues. These include targeted approaches through the curriculum.

"Using drama groups is just one technique suggested, but the guidance is clear that these activities must be carefully designed and head teachers must be sure that the structure and delivery is appropriate for pupils."

Acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers Christine Blower said research it had commission showed a minority of schools faced increasing difficulties from weapons brought on to school premises.

"These schools need all the support they can get," she said.

"Once school communities define their needs, no barrier should be put in place for them receiving it. If necessary, specific funding should be available to local schools and authorities for such additional support."

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