Last week, only seven days into the new year, following the tragic murder of 14-year-old schoolboy, Kelyan Bokassa, on a no 472 bus on London’s Woolwich Church Street, the further murder took place of 17-year-old student Thomas Taylor in Bedford. The subsequent public debate on the continuing violence on our streets, knife fights at the Westfield Shopping Centre at Stratford and vigils and campaigners seeking more attention and awareness to this unacceptable loss of life. All in a week where Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to the Commons, pledging major reforms to protect children.
The Bill lays the foundation for change in many children’s lives by boosting their educational attainment and potential, as well as addressing the causes of educational disaffection and disadvantage that has such negative effects on the lives of young people, their communities and society as a whole.
Over decades, the policies, strategies and resources of successive governments have seen children and young people left on the margins of society. As a result, generations have been failed, much to the social, cultural and economic detriment of this country.
From nursery, primary and secondary school to further and higher education, many children and young people show emotional intelligence and character-building resilience. With organisation, willpower and care, so many more youngsters could be helped to develop further, faster and better through participation in sport, the arts and other cultural activity.
We at the Youth Charter continue to campaign vigorously for the statutory provision of two hours of physical activity per day in the classroom, playground and beyond the school gate. In the 7% of pupils that attend independent schools, the provision is two hours per day. What 7% enjoy is what the remaining 93% should be entitled to as a fundamental human right.
As part of its NationalCall2Action, the Youth Charter has campaigned for three decades for a National Commission on Youth to be established. The Terms of Reference should see ALL of the related issues represented with a clear mandate to urgently address the problems facing so many of our children and young people. We have also gone as far as to request - I would even now suggest ‘demand’ - a Royal Commission. This would remove the debate from the political football of party-political interests.
Charities and campaigners are calling for greater focus on this long-drawn-out fight to save young lives on our streets and in our communities as a result of knife crime. However, we also need to look at violence in our communities and society as a whole and what influences are shaping the minds, thoughts, values and behaviour that treat the taking of human life as some sort of interactive video game, a ‘virtual experience’ that is only too real in the Call of Duty conflict on our streets.
The answers may well lie in the role of sport and its development in the national game of football and the role of Premiership Clubs. Yesterday’s FA Cup fourth round between Arsenal and Manchester United saw the Gunners wearing their all-white kit as part of their now one-year-old campaign to highlight the knife crime, violence and loss of lives on our streets. Raheem Sterling, who played in the tie, featured on the front page of the Voice, citing the role that can be played by players like himself who have come from the streets and, therefore, through their respective foundations, can do good on the very streets that they have come from. Their shirts already feature ‘no room for racism’, with ‘Respect’ on the captain’s armbands. One wonders when all shirts can represent a symbol that highlights the need for a more brand-team-like effort.
One then has to ask with all of this effort, investment of time, energy and features of celebritised articles of the good being done, do we see sport in its so-called development for peace, not see an end to this violence?
That might well lie in our ability to ‘Team up to Tackle this Crime’ and blight on our society. Maybe the DCMS’s ‘Game On Call for Evidence’ will aim to see sport fulfil its fundamental mental, physical and emotional health and well-being development of our children and young people who can have their energy channelled, their aggression focussed and the respect of the rules that can shape their respect for themselves, communities and society as a whole.
Maybe with the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s fervent support of Arsenal and a regular attendee of their games, he could convene the efforts of the likes of Edris Elba and other celebritised luminaries being more ‘Soccerwise’ as opposed to being life foolish with regards to this issue.
There are hundreds of charities, initiatives, premiership clubs, businesses, community organisations and CIC’s working to address these issues. The cause, effect and impact can no longer be ignored in isolation. Collaboration Collaboration Colaboration…
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