Lessons in crime
20th May 2010
Author: Education| James Dowling
Publisher: News Ltd Regional/Suburban
Publication: Leader-Whitehorse, Page 3 (Wed 12 May 2010)
Keywords: Martin (1),Dixon (1)
Edition: 1 - WH
Section: News
Lessons in crime
GOVERNMENT schools reported thousands of crimes last year, with Melbourne's east among the worst areas.
Eastern metropolitan region schools reported 1558 incidents to the Education Department's 24-hour emergency and security management unit last year, including 366 cases of alleged criminal activity.
Documents released to Leader under Freedom of Information laws revealed reports of burglary, property damage, trespassing, fights, bullying, assaults and sexual assault from the region's 246 government schools flowed to the department's emergency hotline nearly twice a day.
The document lists 207 reports of antisocial behaviour, including graffiti and vandalism; 197 burglaries; 175 reports of aggressive behaviour, including fighting and bullying; 136 reports of suspicious vehicles or intruders; 43 reports of missing students; 33 sexual assaults; 12 criminal fires and seven police lockdowns.
Victorian Principals Association president Gabrielle Leigh said principals were crying out for welfare officers attached to each school to address the violence.
``We need far more resources to work with those really troubled children,'' Ms Leigh said. ``It's about being proactive and providing the help students need before the negative behaviour starts occurring.''
Statewide, there were 2265 reports of criminal activity, 1521 reports of aggressive behaviour and 820 emergency situations, which include 420 reports of missing students and 40 school lockdowns. Opposition education spokesman Martin Dixon said violent schools were a reflection of a more violent society.
He said principals needed more power and department support to discipline violent students.
Education Department spokesman Nick Higgins said Victoria's 1555 government schools were overwhelmingly safe places and incidents of violence were dealt with quickly. He said about 500 ``allied health professionals'', including psychologists, social workers and speech pathologists, worked with schools in 2009-10.
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