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Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB
Published: 8 August 2008

Weapons in schools up 300%

Calls for tougher punishments in cases where pupils are found to be armed

A KNUCKLE duster, replica guns, air rifles, knives and fireworks are among almost 100 weapons found in Islington schools in the past three years.
Figures seen by the Tribune this week detail 99 incidents where armed schoolchildren have used or carried weapons in secondary schools across the borough since 2005.
The number of incidents trebled from 14 to 43 in 2006-07 and remained almost the same in 2008 (42).
Thirty-five of the incidents related to fireworks, 36 to knives and blades and 12 to replica, air, pellet and BB guns.
According to the council there have been no incidents in primary schools in the past three years and the youngest child involved was in Year 7, (age 11-12).
The figures – obtained under a Freedom of Information request by the Labour group – reveal that 99 children who were found to be carrying weapons have been excluded from Islington schools, 30 of whom were permanently expelled.
Labour’s shadow education spokesman Councillor Richard Watts said: “Parents in Islington want to know their children are safe in school. It is a sad indictment of the Liberal Democrats’ attitudes to safety in schools that they let incidents of weapons- carrying in school treble in the space of one year.
“I find it hard to blame parents for being worried about that.
“The council is clearly not doing enough to support schools in standing up to serious crime. The soft attitude to crime of Liberals like Ursula Woolley is doing our kids no favours.”
Parent Ann Conway, who teaches at Islington Arts and Media School, said she is more concerned when her children are on the streets than in school.
She said: “I work in a school and there’s no particular issue that comes to mind with people bringing serious weapons in. I’ve had no reports of anything like this at my children’s school.”
Islington Police Supt John Sutherland said: “Stopping young people carrying weapons is our top priority. To make schools safer, we have police working in all senior schools and have introduced PCSOs to all primary schools.
“These officers educate pupils about the dangers of knives. They also stop and search pupils if they believe they’re carrying weapons. Anyone found by police to be carrying a knife is arrested with the presumption they will be charged.”
Council leader Councillor James Kempton said: “Islington schools take knives and other weapons very seriously. One knife in a school is far too many.
“It’s up to headteachers to judge each case and I strongly support the exclusion – often permanent – of those caught with knives.”

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