'Gangsters using pupils'

[AB Asks]

Gangsters are using school children to run messages between gangster members a minister has warned. The Schools Minister, Jim Knight made the claim saying the problem existed in four cities and is a "genuine worry". His particular concern is that children as young as nine are being used to run messages between older gang members.

Schools should be a safe place for children to be, and problems like this are difficult to track. What do you think about this claim and children being used by 'gangsters' to pass on messages? How could something like this be tackled by schools?

[jake-the-peg]

Sounds like a problem for 3 or 4 of the hundreds of schools around the country - but a real headline grabber.

If you've got undesirables hanging around schools for any reason surely the headteachers can call the police and if it reoccurs get a restraining order.

Don't see why it needs a Government Minister's involvement.

Unless one of our wonderful tabloids was about to make a huge scene about it - you know:

Gangsters in our schools!!!

and he was pulling the rug out from under them

[kwicky]

I would have thought travelling on foot to pass messages was old hat. Find a child nowadays without a mobile phone.

[noxlumos]

Sorry to say but there's nothing new in this. This has gone on for generations and is pretty much unstoppable. Headline hysteria really.
How can you tackle, thought? You can't. You have to make alternatives more easily available to kids and tailor their educational needs to them better instead of this "one size fits all " thing we have at the moment.
In areas where there's high unemployment, low prospects then gullible kids will always look up to older gang members with flashy cars, big tellys and guns. Kids are like that they want STUFF, and you have our very negative society to thank for that, that values stuff above people.
Society as a whole has to change if you want to target this
as it's just a symptom of a much bigger disease and we are all part of that.

[naz_nomad]

''i will not contribute my thoughts to this corporate / sponsored question''

[Athley]

ditto


ps Are you Prince Charles?

[Phantaxus]

Can somebody explain this corporate sponsored question thing to me?

and why are people not submitting their thoughts?

[teag1rl]

yeah-why's it pink? I've not been on in a while!

[drestie]

I think it's ridiculous. What a weird way to run a website.

[lector]

what is going on?

what are corporate sponsored questions?

if they are .... why are such questions being asked in this manner?

[dot.hawkes]

why are u called Wales V and not Wales V England, it makes no sense....just the same as this put up job of a question. How many Gangsters do you know? These days all the gangsters are in the local town hall working out your council tax and inventing a new type of recycling bin made of non-biodegradable plastic-with a lid.
Schools know what is going on , they live in the real world where half their kids come from a home struggling to make ends meet, crime is less of a worry than how to afford the school uniform and the fancy school trip to france for a bit of cultural exchange and a wizz round disneyland paris for the teachers.
no probs with Teachers myself, especially if they look like Andrew lincoln

[Theland]

Why is this still at the top of the list?