Makes sense to me: Let’s squash an 8-year-old child’s imagination and desire to fight the bad guys rather than address the real problem of terrorism of the European invasion.
Rhys Atkinson and his father
A school called in social services after an eight-year-old boy told a teacher he wanted to ‘fight terrorists’ after watching a news report on the Syrian refugee crisis.The Daily Mail reports that teachers referred Rhys Atkinson to Wirral Council’s children’s safeguarding hub over fears he could be ‘radicalised’ and turn into a terrorist.
Rhys, a pupil at St. Michael & All Angels (an Catholic primary school in the UK) in Upton, on the Wirral, Merseyside, had been watching a TV news report on the Syrian refugee crisis. Father Mark Atkinson said: ‘I was called in for a meeting with the head and couldn’t believe what she was telling me. I was so much in shock I could barely speak. How could the school believe my eight-year-old child could be a terrorist?‘
He says he was approached by staff as he waited at the school gate for his children to finish their day. He said: ‘The school has been raising money to help with the refugee crisis. My son came home and told me his form teacher had explained how the crisis had begun. ‘I sat him down and we discussed it. The next day he went into school and said that he wanted to fight terrorists. Then all of a sudden it’s being implied by his teachers that he is one.‘
Mr. Atkinson said staff informed him that several schools in Wirral had been visited by anti-terrorism police and have been told to ‘look out for signs of radicalisation.’
Mr. Atkinson with the letter he received from the school
Wirral Council’s children’s social care multi-agency safeguarding hub was then informed of the comments. A letter sent from the department to Mr. Atkinson states it has information ‘in relation to some comments made by your son in school in relation to terrorism.’ The letter continues to claim ‘it has also been brought to our attention he plays a violent video game’ – an accusation that has been strongly denied by the child’s mother. ‘He is putting on a brave face but was confused and didn’t understand if he can still go to school. I think they should react to a young child’s naive comments like adults and not jump to crazy conclusions. It is idiotic.’The school referred inquiries to Wirral Council, where Julia Hassall, director of children’s services, said: ‘Because there is a child at the center of these claims we cannot comment other than to say we will be looking into Mr. Atkinson’s claims. We will be looking to get the parents, school, and a representative of the multi-agency safeguarding hub together so that we can resolve what has happened to the satisfaction of all concerned. The education and well-being of our pupils is paramount and will be the focus of our discussions.’
The Prevent Duty initiative is a counter-terrorist strategy that aims to put a stop to the radicalisation of an individual before it becomes a criminal matter. The hope is that by noticing possible signs of radicalisation, the scheme can prevent more schoolchildren and young adults becoming lured in by the Islamic State’s ideologies. The scheme came into force in June. It aims to offer practical help to prevent people being drawn into terrorism, and ensures that they are given appropriate support and advice.
Teachers play a vital role within the scheme, as increasing numbers of schoolchildren are being targeted by ISIS recruiters via social media. But the initiative has sparked furious debate as to how far a teacher’s responsibility for a child should go.
DCG
