• IN response to your contributions on excluded pupils and knife crime, we should look more closely at a range of factors.

Certainly excluded pupils are more likely to get involved in knife crime, but the roots of this behaviour are complex. As a governor of schools in Camden, I have been involved in many exclusion appeals.

Some short term exclusions (a few days) may act as a salutary warning of more serious consequences for bad behaviour, with parental co-operation sought to address the problem.

This might follow on from internal “exclusions” where the pupil is taught apart. Longer exclusions might result in off-site teaching for a fixed period.

In my experience, permanent exclusions were always a last resort: when behaviour was threatening to other pupils and staff, involving violent behaviour or bringing weapons into the school. Referral might be made for psychiatric help if appropriate.

When making a recomm­endation of exclusion, the head has to balance the interests of the pupil concerned with the interests of other pupils.

Sometimes there were reasons for unacceptable behaviour: a very vulnerable or traumatised pupil (for example, a refugee’s family might have experienced extreme violence) or dysfunctional family relations (a mother who said she”did not want” her 11-year-old son).

Camden has had off-site provision for different age groups where excluded pupils can continue their education in a calm setting. Many schools work hard to deal with such pupils (not encouraged by the current emphasis on SATS results and league tables).

The latter may indeed encourage some academy schools to “off-roll” Year 11 pupils who will not boost their SATS scores at GCSE, and exclude special needs pupils who might demand more attention. That is certainly to be deplored.

However a full consideration of the causes of knife crime must look at a multiplicity of factors, including lack of youth facilities, heavy demands on police time (limiting preventative work), the demise of Sure Start.

The real roots of the escalating knife crime lie in a dysfunctional society, where families are beset by problems ranging from insecure and low-paid employment, reliance on food banks, and over-priced, short-term housing (lack of genuinely affordable and secure housing).

The austerity policies now hollowing out local government and local policing are wrecking the chances of tackling knife crime effectively. Unless these policies can be reversed, with better funding for those working with youngsters, the problems of knife crime can only get worse.

DEIRDRE KRYMER
NW5