NEWS FOCUS
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SecEd: On Your Side
Reach for the sky:
Students from King
Edward Five Ways School
in Birmingham on top of
The shocking scale
Mount Kinabalu in Borneo
of sexual abuse
I imagine you will have been
as shocked as me after reading
Pete
our news report about the scale
Henshaw
of sexual offences against
Editor
children (see front page).
SecEd
Our report comes after the
e.com
N/SPCC revealed that a staggering 60 sexual offences were
recorded every day by police as having been committed
against those aged under 18 in England and Wales. In total,
keadventur
21,618 offences were recorded last year – and the NSPCC
Photo:
fears there are many more that were unreported.
Our report looks at the role of teachers in helping to
spot potential victims of abuse and we offer advice from
the NSPCC as to what role teachers have in tackling this
issue and what you should do if you suspect a child is being
Abroad perspective
abused.
As I have always said in this column, teachers should
not to be expected to tackle all society’s problems on their
own. However, teachers do have a role to play in tackling The recent Language Trends survey from CILT, the National Centre for Languages,
many issues that one might consider fall outside the normal
found that teachers are finding it difficult to arrange international activities, due in
remit of an educator – and this is one such issue.
When you consider that one in seven of the children
part to parental concerns about safety. James Everest investigates how teachers
involved in these incidents (that’s 3,035) were younger
can take steps to reassure worried parents about their children’s wellbeing
than 10, and the number of incidents where the offender
is known to the victim is four times higher than those
involving strangers, you will see why victims often feel
EVERYBODY HAS a memory of “School trips can be real is a code of practice which has “We provide safety advice for
a school trip abroad, and whether it character-forming experiences. been approved and taken on by the students so that they shake out
unable to speak out, or do not know what to do, or, worse
is a bus trip to Brussels or trekking There are all kinds of benefits, from the Council for Learning Outside their boots in the morning and don’t
still, perhaps are not even aware that they are being abused.
in the Himalayas, the experience the opportunity to practise basic the Classroom. Companies which go looking under stones,” he said.
The simple fact of the matter is that we have to pull
can awaken a previously dormant shopping language skills for the have been awarded the council’s Similarly adventurous trips form
together as a society to help these children, and teachers
interest in a foreign language or lower years, to full immersion in the Quality Badge can help schools to a key part of the higher Duke of
have a crucial role. Of course, this comes in educating
broaden students’ awareness of culture for older children,” she said. demonstrate that they are meeting Edinburgh’s (DofE) Awards, and
other cultures. Long Field School is planning the concerns of parents and can can typically involve a trek to the
children about abuse and what forms it can take, and how
Yet according to last week’s a visit to India next year and Ms answer questions of liability and source of the Ganges, or kayaking
they can keep themselves safe; but as important is simply Language Trends survey carried out Smith believes it is important for child danger.” in South Africa, according to Anne
keeping an eye on your charges and spotting any signs of
by CILT, the National Centre for schools to offer trips further afield Once on the road, there are Newcombe, DofE director for the
abuse.
Languages, teachers say they are than Europe. simple things which teachers can do eastern region.
A teacher’s intervention could be as simple as asking
having difficulty organising trips “Schools have an important role to keep parents reassured, according She said that the DofE offers
and other international activities, to play in what you might call more to Richard Manville, the director of training courses for teachers to
after a lesson “how are you doing?” or perhaps pointing
with parents’ fears for the safety of ‘exotic’ trips because not many School Trips Plus, a company set provide the skills needed to lead
a child towards school counsellors. As practitioners on their children one obstacle cited. families could necessarily afford a up with the aim of keeping children an expedition: “These can be soft
the frontline, teachers can often be the first to spot that
Linda Parker, director of the family holiday that far, but are able safe on trips. skills, such as building a supervision
something is wrong in a child’s life – and this early
Association for Language Learning, to send a child.” “We offer a simple phone plan and knowing what they have to
the subject association for teachers So what can teachers do to system, which allows the school to do in terms of health and safety, or
indication could make such a crucial difference.
of foreign languages, is the first to reassure parents and make sure they call a number, enter a PIN and then they can be hard skills, such as food
sympathise with parental worries, bring risks down to an absolute leave a message on the status on and cooking, route planning, and
The ‘Gr8’ debate
but is convinced of the benefits of minimum? the trip,” he said. “Parents can then the Countryside Code.
a school trip. The first step for Ms Smith is a dial in to find out that their children “We do get questions from
She told SecEd: “School trips full briefing for family members: have arrived safely, or that they’re parents about how expeditions
provide the chance to put classroom “We provide copies of risk delayed in traffic.” are managed,” she continued.
It’s an age-old debate that has the ability to drive normally
learning into practice. Language assessments, a full list of equipment When it comes to trips further “However, expedition leaders will
level-headed and quiet educationalists to despair and rage.
teachers know that visits, particularly required, advice on spending money, afield, parental concerns can be hold parents’ meetings and send out
The use of language by our young generations down the
those which allow young people to and itineraries accounting for every magnified. information.”
years has always riled older educationalists and scholars of
get into the heart of the community, hour that students will be abroad,” Phil Sturgess is a school groups Reassuring parents requires
the English language. This debate has become even more
can be the turning point for interest she said. “It’s a massive amount co-ordinator at KE Adventure considerable preparation and a
in a language.” of work for staff, but we take the Travel, a specialist independent thorough briefing. A school trip is
pointed in the 21st century as technology has quickened
Ms Parker remembers vividly view that you have to be proactive holiday company, and has taken a considerable investment in staff
the pace of change in our use of language. For example, her trips as a child to France and in reassuring parents, and preparing students trekking in the Andes, time and energy.
text-speak, as it is known, is the bane of many an English
Germany. them ahead of the trip.” along the edge of the Sahara and in And if the trip involves sitting
teacher’s life.
“I came from a working class Another important consideration, the Amazon jungle. around a fire in the Moroccan
This has come to the fore again this week after a study
background in London, from a according to John Gardiner, general As well as complex risk desert and singing, it may not be
community which didn’t have much manager at Encounters Europe, a assessments, he compiles an too difficult to find teachers to
found that children who regularly use text-speak – i.e.
experience of foreign languages. provider of educational tours, is the evacuation strategy for each stage volunteer. SecEd
abbreviated language – are actually improving their grasp So the chance to go abroad, on organisation you intend to travel of the journey, detailing where the
of spelling. The University of Coventry study found that in
language and music trips, opened with. nearest hospital is and how to get
Further information
order to abbreviate language in texts, children have to have
up the world for me,” she said. “As an industry, we have worked there. Before each trip he gives • CILT: www.cilt.org.uk
Jo Smith, vice principal of Long hard with the teaching unions and a presentation to parents of what • Association for Language
a grasp of vocabulary and of how sounds relate to written
Field School in Melton Mowbray, government to set high standards their children can expect. “What Learning: www.all-languages.org.uk
English.
is similarly enthusiastic about trips for school trips,” he said. could bite my child?” is a common • The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award:
This got me thinking again about the many debates I abroad. “The School Travel Forum question. www.dofe.org
have had with teachers and journalists about the use of
language by children. New words are formed all the time IN RESPONSE…
and words with a traditional definition are given new
meanings. Should this be encouraged?
Schools should be teaching take part, visit www.dcsf.gov. young people to understand the children and young people with
Well – I am, perhaps surprisingly for someone who is
youngsters how to cope with uk/consultations importance of marriage and other sexual imagery.”
a wordsmith by trade, an ardent supporter of this. This has
the pressure and intimidation stable relationships – these are the
been happening for centuries and is a natural development
caused by exposure to sexual Ed Balls, schools secretary: bedrock of family life, the best way Anna Martinez, co-ordinator
content on the internet and “Young people today grow up in to bring up children, and the kind of of the Sex Education Forum:
of language that should be embraced. Of course we should
mobile phones, ministers have a very different world to the one relationships we want young people “Schools have a vital role to
protect the heritage and history of our language, but this can announced. their parents knew as children. to develop as they get older.” play in making sure that children
be done while also embracing change.
New government guidance New technologies and a 24-hour and young people have the right
It is vital to teach the rules of language, spelling, and
on sex and relationships media mean that young people are Oona Stannard, director, information and skills they need to
grammar, as these skills are crucial, but we should never
education (SRE), to be sent increasingly exposed to images Catholic Education Service: make safe, healthy and responsible
to schools in September, also and content that can make them “SRE is rightly a very sensitive life choices. Teachers have been
stifle the use of new and additional words that a generation
calls on schools to tackle issues feel pressure to be sexually active issue but also a crucial one – never calling for better guidance on
will make their own. This is the beauty of language. SecEd such as the responsibilities of before they are ready and can give more so than in these times when how to teach SRE, and confident
parenthood, the importance of them misleading information about the media, advertising and other teachers are vital for good quality
• Pete Henshaw is the editor of SecEd and Delivering
stable relationships, and how to relationships and growing up. material so often gives young SRE. We encourage all teachers
Diplomas. Email him on editor@sec-ed.co.uk or visit
avoid unplanned pregnancies. We want to give young people people a false impression of to respond to the consultation.”
The guidance is subject to the facts so that they can stay relationships, underestimating
www.sec-ed.com or www.deliveringdiplomas.com
an ongoing consultation. To safe and healthy. We also want their importance, and bombarding • For more, see www.sec-ed.co.uk
6 SecEd • February 4 2010
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