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