Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
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Lammy Praises Colleges for Tackling Gangs
Colleges are doing a great job keeping young people safe from guns, gangs and knives, Higher Education Minister David Lammy said today as he launched Safe Colleges guidance.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Association of Colleges to tackle and prevent gang problems in London Colleges, Mr Lammy said:
“Colleges are at the coal face, not just supporting young people, but often very vulnerable young people. This is work that goes unsung and requires immense expertise, which is why you are at the forefront of the battle against guns, gangs and knives. It’s my hope and belief that the website we’re launching today, the resources and the practical experience that it will allow colleges to share, will play its part in taking that work to a new level.
The Safe Colleges website launched today features guidance drawn up by colleges and the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS), working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Home Office.
The guidance suggests:
Promoting the college as a ‘safe haven’ for learners; Developing a closer working relationship with local police to raise awareness of gang-related issues;Having a strong pastoral network and including learners on all committees;Making employment and careers aspirational, so that young people see them as a positive alternative lifestyle to gangs and crime; Recruiting staff, both teaching and support staff, including security, from the local community and reflecting its diversity; As appropriate for the local situation, having some or all of: passes, ID cards, turnstiles, “hoods down” policy, knife arches, metal detector wands, random testing/searching; andEnsuring staff training includes knife awareness, incident handling and conflict resolution.
Mr Lammy also said:
“What parent doesn’t fret about the safety of the local neighbourhood or worry about their children’s friends and peers? When I see police outside the school gates, I feel safer. When I hear the Met are placing metal detectors at bus stops, I feel more secure. But stronger and more active policing isn’t enough.
“This is an age where youths are now transfixed by the increasingly seductive language of gang culture. But colleges, schools, churches and civic society are in loco parentis alongside the grass-roots movements that have brought ordinary people onto the street to say “no” to guns and knives: they are a powerful force for good.
“I’m proud to have played a part in setting up the Government’s Tackling Gangs Action Programme two years ago. I pay tribute to the response from colleges and the AoC who have helped steer the programme. It’s no longer the case that there are just a handful of organisations committed to fighting gangs; there now exists a coherent and co-ordinated movement across the public and private sector, which I am proud to say that Further Education colleges are at the centre of. “
Further Education colleges, with their critical mass of young adults, are often at the heart of local communities and are widely regarded as safe places of learning.
Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:
“Schools and colleges are safe places. However, it is right that we do all we can to keep young people safe throughout their education. The guidance published today will give colleges the tools they need to play their part in preventing and dealing with youth crime. The guidance also reflects the ongoing Government commitment to tackle gun, gang and knife crime head on.
“It is vital that schools and colleges identify the minority of young people who are at risk of becoming involved in gang activity, and educate all young people about the dangers of guns, gangs and knives to themselves and the community. This is a complex issue but we know what works – through our Youth Crime Action Plan we are taking a triple-track approach of enforcement and punishment, non-negotiable support and challenge, and better and earlier prevention.
“We also need to remember that the overwhelming majority of young people are law-abiding, play a positive role in their communities and are a credit to their families.”
Kate Anderson, Regional Director of AoC London said:
“London Colleges make great efforts to create safe and harmonious communities of students and to support young people whose lives outside College may be made difficult by gangs. As a sector, London Colleges have also been pro-active in addressing gang-related issues by supporting AoC London’s research into good practice and reaching out to partners such as government and the third sector at this event.”
Notes to Editors
1. David Lammy was speaking at the launch of Safe Colleges – tackling and preventing gang problems in London Colleges today, hosted by the Association of Colleges and held at Sir George Mounoux College in Walthamstow.
2. The guidance can be found at: http://www.safecolleges.tintisha-web.co.uk/guns-gangs-knives/introduction.
3. The Tackling Gangs Action Programme is now incorporated in the cross Government Tackling Knives and Serious Youth Violence Programme (TKAP). The second phase of TKAP is now underway, supported by £5m of funding, working intensively in 16 of the areas affected by serious youth violence to change behaviour and attitudes amongst 13 to 24-year-olds. Through TKAP the Government is sending out a clear message that if an individual carries a knife, they aremore likely to get caught, prosecuted and receive a tough punishment.
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Jane Parsons
Phone: 020 7215 5947
Jane.Parsons@bis.gsi.gov.uk
