chickens roosting in trees

[little cluckers]

My MS came home from school today and said that a boy in his year (10) was caught threatening a year 8 with a knife at school today and the strongest punishment that the school are allowed to carry out is a 5 day exclusion (which they have done).

Is it just me or does that seem a little tame? I didn't realise that schools have a maximum punishment policy?

[Janty]

I'd have thought a permanent exclusion would be the very least that the boy would have. We have a policy of calling the police as well.

[pistachio]

I would have expected the police to be involved. Are they not?

[AnnieP]

Different schools may have different rules, but at mine (which, bear in mind, is only a primary school), you have to go through a process: First "offence" is a one day exclusion, second time a 2 day, then 5 days, then you can permanently exclude, although we have the ability to be flexible if a child did something truly awful...

The biggest problem is often that these children create an "urban myth" around themselves, and so unless your MS actuall SAW the child pull the knife, the chances are they actually didn't and it is all hearsay...ie they threatened to pull a knife (which they actually never even had etc).

I would hope that if they DID actually do that, the police would have been called, the child arrested etc. Followed by a permanent exclusion!

[little cluckers]

I hope you're right Annie P and it has been blown out of proportion, the police were called but the boy wasn't arrested.

[Egluntyne]

Never mind the school rules...if my child had been threatened with a knife, the police would have been called. The school can't possibly over rule a parent, or the law on an issue like this.

[chickenanne]

If charges weren't made by the police, then it could be that it's been blown out of proportion. I do have SOME sympathy for kids where they're generalyl well-behaved having a "moment" but am not convinced that if you ahve a knife with you you can claim it's sudden red-mit type thing!

[stoice]

I believe the minimum age of criminal responsibility is 10 so I'm not sure he could be arrested anyway. Shocking though. Lets hope his parents don't just sit back either. What has happened to children's childhoods today eh?

[Seagazer]

If the boy did have a knife then it should be a permanent exclusion and if I was the parent of the other child I would have called the police. "Ooops, word censored!"ody should be carrying a knife - ever.

[Egluntyne]

I agree. It is an offence after all. What were the police thinking of?

[Rhapsody]

It really depends on context, and as other people have said what actually happened. My younger son (with Asperger's) got a Leatherman multiknife from me last Xmas as they are handy around the farm. Despite my warning he took it to school to show his friends, it was confiscated and returned to me as there was no malicious intent. I would have been devastated if he had been expelled for this lack of judgement.

[Egluntyne]

**Here** is a site worth visiting.

 

It is worth remembering and making sure that our children understand that:

 

It is a criminal offence to bring a knife or other offensive weapon into school.

 

[Yorkshire Pudding]

We have a standard policy of permanent exclusion for any student who tries to use a knife as a weapon in school. This has happened three times in 13 years that I have worked there.

 

In the last instance, the parents challenged this, saying that it was a first offence and their son was being used as an example to others. School agreed he was being made an example - to show others that knife use was completely unacceptable and would not be tolerated.

 

Carrying (but not using) a knife carries a long exclusion even for a first offence. We always inform the police and involve our police liaison officer in working with the student over a period of weeks, they are placed on a lesson-by-lesson report to him and are on a very short rein when they return from exclusion.

 

 

I agree that carrying and using a knife cannot be acceptable, ever.

[Rhapsody]

I read that thanks Egluntine. Good job we all carry folding knives on or we'd be a family of jailbirds!

I think laws have to be applied intelligently. Otherwise all men over the age of 13 would be arrested for not pracising their archery every sunday!

[chickenanne]

I agree that knives ahve no place in school.

But I can see how in some rare and unusual cases, such as Rhapsody son, expulsion is too much. It's very difficult and not desireable to make exceptions though, and it doesn't sound like this was relevant to the case here anyway: te kid was threatening another with a knife.

[Egluntyne]

I read that thanks Egluntine. Good job we all carry folding knives on or we'd be a family of jailbirds!

I think laws have to be applied intelligently. Otherwise all men over the age of 13 would be arrested for not pracising their archery every sunday!

 

There are umpteen archaic laws remaining on the statute books, most of which probably don't have the potential of leaving a teenager bleeding to death and a family bereft if they are not repealed.

 

So all you freemen ...drive your geese down cheapside if you have a mind to.

[Seagazer]

I read that thanks Egluntine. Good job we all carry folding knives on or we'd be a family of jailbirds!

I think laws have to be applied intelligently. Otherwise all men over the age of 13 would be arrested for not pracising their archery every sunday!

 

There are umpteen archaic laws remaining on the statute books, most of which probably don't have the potential of leaving a teenager bleeding to death and a family bereft if they are not repealed.

 

 

And the aftermath of that ripples on and on and on

[pistachio]

My sons and daughter like to play with the odd knife here and there. But there is no way on earth I would let them take one to school and I have explained that they are not allowed to take one to school - even a small keyring style penknife. We may know with 99% certainty (100% if you are in denial) that our children would never use it to threaten or harm another. But we cannot be sure it would remain in their control. Weapons have no place in school, ever. I have sympathy with the woman whose son took a knife to school. I would be horrified if the police were involved if my son/daughter did that. But I would also be pretty miffed if something drastic (perhaps even police) did NOT happen. I want everyone to be safe at school - my kids - others kids- teachers.

[Rhapsody]

I did say laws should be applied intelligently........I dont want anyone's kids to get stabbed, did I say that? I just think if there is no malice intended no-one was hurt and the kid who brought the knife in is made an example of (my boy got a BIG dressing-down by the head which I applauded) all's well, we dont need to give this any more attention or glamour.

[Emma Tarpey]

Is that it if it was my school then you would be kicked out and be reported to the police- if not worse