Diablo

Well, ok, perhaps not quite, but Blair has given his full backing to Ruth Kelly who has cleared registered sex offenders and peadophiles to work with kids.

Instead of doing the decent thing and sacking her from a post which is clearly innapropraite for her to hold.

I am really looking forward to what you have to say in your "hero's" ddefence this time

sociopath

Way to give the troll a voice, nice one!

Tiggs

"peadophiles"

i havent really followed this story but has she allowed peadophiles to work in schools?

the only one i heard any details about was some teacher that was accused of a sex offence yet it turned out it was with a school kid he went on to marry and have 3 kids with (not ideal but hardly makes him a danger to other kids)

davegtt

Yup this is what I heard about too, the guy never even made any sexual advances on the girl when she was under the age of 16, the girl helped him through a period when she was 15 and they became good friends but the relationship raised awareness or something along them line.

The Zohan

It is not just this case the catalyst seems to have been another teacher who was cautioned by police for looking at/downloading indecent pictures of children. This i would say is pedophile behaviour.

As for this chap who married this girl he was 30 at the time they got together, she was 15 when they me. That i feel is inappropriate behaviour, especially for a teacher whio is in a position of trust. OK they went on to be married and good luck to them but 30 y/o blokes should notr be getting involved with 15 y/o girls even if just once.

Tiggs

"That i feel is inappropriate behaviour, especially for a teacher whio is in a position of trust."

yes it is inappropriate.....but not so much so that he should be banned from schools - i'd be quite happy if he taught my daughter.

OllyK

There is also the deputy head from West Sussex that's just been jailed for grooming a 14 year old on the net.

davegtt

Not heard any of these other stories. Only one Ive heard on the radio was the guy who got married.

OllyK

It was on the main news last night. Not sure he had been previously convicted, but he had been thrown out of East Sussex anf the DfES were warned - I'll google - please hold....
....
....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4617276.stm

Tiggs

was he a prevous offender allowed to work in schools?

Dracoro

Tricky one this. Would someone who likes murder movies constitute murderous behaviour? Anyway, we don't know the whole story. Maybe he downloaded pics by mistake (e.g. when your browser caches pics on a web page that you accidentally stumbled across) or thought the 15 year old ones were over 16. Regardless, we don't know. I'd be more inclined to say that my suggestion was more likely the case else they'd certainly not give the chap the job. Do you seriously think anyone really would give a job to a likely offender. If so, you really need a wake up call. Mistakes are made for which R Kelly should go imo, but lets not go thinking that she, or anyone else, thinks that offenders working with kids is ok.

The real issue is about this 'list' and ensuring a) people who shouldn't really be on the list are removed and b) not let anyone on the list work in schools. It's really that simple but people and the govt. are trying to overcomplicate matters for their own benefit.

OllyK

The details seem a little sketchy, on the news they say he had been working in East Sussex and his activities were called in to question and he was sacked. He was reported to the DfES etc but they failed to act and he got a new job in West Sussex.

Like so many stories there's enough to raise interest without providing all the answers.

Tiggs

Without details this is just scaremongering and rumours. As has been said above the "downloading" stuff can mean anything - i cant belive he'd be allowed to work if it was serious and if it is a case (as described above) of 15 year olds does that mean anyone that saw Sam Fox at 16 in The Sun is likley to hang out around school gates? Half the posts about Charlotte Church on here a couple of years ago would have SN'ers banned from working with kids!

The Zohan

Re wake up call
Soham should have been a wake up call. Little seems to have been done.

It took the Police to interfere to get this chap removed, they thought it was a serious issue enough to flag it.

We do not know the full story and probably never will but surely to err on the side of caution is the best course of action where our children are concerned.

Tiggs

Just read the full thing on BBC website.......he got too close to a girl, teachers reported him but it wasnt until he went and touched her in a cupboard that anyone took it seriously - now banned for life.

Story is about a sad old weirdo, teachers that should have spoken out more clearly and an unfortunate kid caught in the middle.

Tiggs

"err on the side of caution is the best course of action where our children are concerned."

as long as we avoid "over caution" at the expense of giving kids a normal life.

i would rather have my kid taught by a great teacher that married someone he taught than an idiot thats whiter than white.

The Zohan

Tiggs without details surely you do not know that this teacher was looking at 15 y/o he thought where 16+
He could have been looking at much younger kids, yes we will never know but let not try to paint a picture of relative innocence and naivety either as i said the Police thought it serious enough to flag it and he was removed.

The Zohan

Agreed, over caution can be almost as bad and i want my kids taught by great teachers who can inspire and enthuse but i do not want them 'preyed on' or 'groomed' by said teachers either.

Puff The Magic Wagon!

iTrader: (2)

Very moralistic statement that Paul

Tiggs

i'm just trying to balance the picture created by the title of this thread.

people could do with some perspective.....we have mothers worried about perverts in schools yet smoke, feed their kids crap and dont make them wear seat belts!

i have plenty of things i worry about over my kids........their teachers are not on that list anymore than i worry about plane crashes!

The Zohan

How moralistic?, maybe i should have added the word romantically before involved.

Maybe i am well out of touch and it is fine for 30 y/o blokes to go chasing schoolgirls, what age does it become a problem?

There certainly seems to be a demand. With the postitution discussion yesterday a 13 y/o told how men paid extra to have sex with her knowing she was 13. Maybe thats ok?

I do not think it is

The Zohan

'People could do with some perspective', well this is a discussion and just because people do not agree with you does not mean their perspective is wrong/narrow minded/whatever!, and you are right. To think so would be arrogant and narrow minded to say the least
BTW i hate to see people smoking infront of thier children, in vehicles taking them out, etc and feeding them cr@p is bad news. Seatbelts not worn is stupidity of the highest order!


I am happy to have my opinion challenged and changed and have done so.

I/We are entitled to be concerned by this and want the best and safest enviroment to my children when out of my care and in the schools/at school. That is only natural.

DazW

iTrader: (1)

Soham is a red herring ...people still think Huntley was a caretaker at the actual school ...he wasn't

Tiggs

"not mean their perspective is wrong/narrow minded/whatever"

yes it does.....if their perspective is that kids are at risk in their schools in any significant numbers.

yes lets deal with it but we can afford to do so calmly.

The Zohan

You assume i am referring to him actually working at the school, if he had been on 'the list' then local police would/should have been notified of his presence no matter where he worked.

Tiggs

would that have stopped it happening?

The Zohan

No one is saying that kids are at risk in significant numbers from what i can glean from this thread or indeed the press, i do take pretty much everything i read in the press with a pinch of salt. I am entitled to take an interest in things that affect me mand mine and inded other peoples lives.

I am sure the press will move on to pastures new soon and i hope that the issues they have highlighted are sorted out properly and not covered up or treated to a knee jerk solution to protect any politicians.

dpb

New labia dont have policies they have good sounding rhetoric , spin and thence produce kneejerk solutions ..!!

The Zohan

Oh come on, how can anyone really answer that, in which case we may as well not bother with any safeguards and trust people to do the right thing.

That will work!

I suppose we will have to agree to dissagre in this case

Alas

But Carr was working at that school. Huntley was caretaker at the Village College.
The point being if his details had been entered correctly and he had been then identified as a danger he would not have been in Soham. It would also have cast doubt on Carr if it was found out her partner had previous form.