SCHOOL KNIFE SEARCHES

A high-profile Government initiative to reduce the risk of knives coming into the classroom simply isn’t being used according to information obtained by Hornchurch and Rainham MP James Brokenshire.  In October 2006 the then Schools Secretary Alan Johnson MP announced that he was giving head-teachers a new power to screen pupils for weapons using knife arches and knife wands claiming that it would act as a “strong deterrent” to anyone thinking of bringing weapons into the classroom.  The initiative was described as “breaking new ground in protecting pupils and staff from violent crime”.  Further powers were added to allow teachers to search pupils suspected of carrying weapons without the pupil’s consent.

Yet the Government has been forced to admit that the powers simply aren’t being used and no records are being kept anyway.  In response to a Parliamentary Question Sarah McCarthy-Fry the Schools Minister told James Brokenshire that the department wasn’t monitoring the use of the power, but anecdotal inquiries suggested that “few” head teachers were exercising the new powers.  The Minister added that schools were being encouraged to work with local police teams when searching for weapons in any event.

Commenting James Brokenshire said:

“This is yet another example of sound-bite policy than a sound basis for dealing with serious crime.  Rather than head-teachers being encouraged to search pupils for weapons, schools should be getting the police to do this job and the Government have now been forced to admit this. 

“What we need is more visible policing on the streets, in communities and - where appropriate - in schools working with head-teachers.  Schools have an extremely important role to play in preventing youth violence but carrying out searches for weapons without police support isn’t the way forward.  It’s amazing the Government ever thought it was.”

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