Sunday 3 July 2011

Signs Of The Times…

Fights between schoolboys and a gang at a bus stop outside Marks and Spencer left one boy with a gash to the head.

Blood stains were still visible on the pavement outside the shop entrance today.
Lovely…
Senior staff from the school spent this morning visiting shops along the road to apologise for the disruption, which saw the street cordoned off by police.
A nice gesture, unfortunately marred by the headteacher then grousing about having to do it:
Headteacher Jeffrey Risbridger told News Shopper: “ I feel because it’s my pupils, clearly I need to go and make my peace with the shopkeepers.

But there comes a point, doesn’t there, when you say, how can a school be responsible for its pupils three hours after the end of a school day.”
If you feel as though what they do out of school doesn’t reflect on you, why do this? Have you been forced to do it?
The headteacher said: “This was more serious because a child was injured. But there are scuffles outside every school. That’s the nature of children.”
Really? If so, what does that say about our society today?

Oh, certainly, intra-school rumbles are nothing new. There were fights between boys (rarely girls) from rival schools when I was a schoolgirl, but they rarely involved police, and never ambulances or weapons…

11 comments:

Pavlov's Cat said...

unfortunately overshadowed by events on just down the road Friday afternoon School boy killed in Welling

Anonymous said...

My old grammar school headmaster (no they still don't call him a headteacher, even now) gave us occasional lectures in assembly about how, if we were wearing the uniform, we would still have him to answer to if we caused any trouble or mischief, wherever we were.

Then there was the former headteacher [sic] of the local comp. who was adamant that his responsibilities were shirked - sorry, ended - at the school gates. Thankfully his successor is more enlightened.

Captain Haddock said...

"Oh, certainly, intra-school rumbles are nothing new. There were fights between boys ... "

'Aint that the truth .. happened when I was at school too

This Headteacher sounds more upset about the potential loss of his dignity, rather than the impact his pupils have had locally ..

Whereas, my old Headmaster, Alf "Jumbo" Mitchell (so called, because he was 6' 5" tall, weighed about 18 stones & never, ever forgot) made sure that anyone involved in such rucks, or anyone responsible for upsetting the school's "neighbours" suffered a public flogging at the next School Assembly ..

Oddly enough .. he was both respected & liked by the majority of lads at the (all boys) school ..

Twenty_Rothmans said...

We were caned if we were caught smoking, or in the presence of other smokers, whilst in uniform.

Other forms of misbehaviour were also dealt with, commensurate with the breach.

Ranter said...

I suppose the other gang were from St josephs School nearby - I wonder what the common denominator about the pupils from these schools are eh?

Captain Haddock said...

Ranter said ...

"I suppose the other gang were from St josephs School nearby - I wonder what the common denominator about the pupils from these schools are eh" ?

Roman Candles ? .. Left-footers ?

OK .. maybe not ... ;)

Probably another job for King Neptune ..

Anonymous said...

Time for a new acronym - PONA ?
Pupils of............

Or maybe SKONA, school kids of......

Captain Haddock said...

Anonymous said ...

"Time for a new acronym - PONA ?
Pupils of............

Or maybe SKONA, school kids of......"

How about SHONA ? ... Shit-Heads Of No Appearance ..

staybryte said...

GONADs

Ganngs Of No Appearance/Description.

staybryte said...

"Gangs" even.

JuliaM said...

"unfortunately overshadowed by events on just down the road Friday afternoon .."

Quite! Is it me, or are they getting far, far bolder? Broad daylight?

"My old grammar school headmaster (no they still don't call him a headteacher, even now) gave us occasional lectures in assembly about how, if we were wearing the uniform, we would still have him to answer to if we caused any trouble or mischief, wherever we were."

Sounds like my mother's grammar school, where they were once called into assembly because they'd been observed (while in uniform) not offering their seats to people on the bus!

"Oddly enough .. he was both respected & liked by the majority of lads at the (all boys) school .."

Children respond to boundaries and discipline.

"I suppose the other gang were from St josephs School nearby..."

The description given seems to make them older. Perhaps school leavers?

"Time for a new acronym.."

Indeed!