An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ on the issues of school vandalism and thefts the costs of which mean that the regions ratepayers are paying twice as much for their children’s education. The programme begins with a filmed report speaking with head teachers from across the region as well as representatives of the various local education authority and the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police about who is responsible and what can be done to stop it. In...

An edition of the Tyne Tees Television current affairs programme ‘Briefing’ on the issues of school vandalism and thefts the costs of which mean that the regions ratepayers are paying twice as much for their children’s education. The programme begins with a filmed report speaking with head teachers from across the region as well as representatives of the various local education authority and the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police about who is responsible and what can be done to stop it. In the second part of the programme a studio discussion about the issues raised in the filmed report. Title: Tyne Tees Briefing A clip from a News at Ten report about a meeting at 10 Downing Street to discuss new ways of preventing crime. In the Tyne Tees Television studio in Newcastle presenter Stuart McNeil introduces this edition of ‘Briefing’ that will look at one side of the breakdown in general law and order, that of vandalism and thefts from the region’s schools. At night two private security guards make a routine inspection of a Tyneside school building checking windows are secure. They find one that is unlocked. A representative of Cleveland Education Authority explains that last year the authority spent £1.2 million on repairs caused by vandalism and fire damage. In the playground of a school children playing and running about, in voiceover the reporter explains that last year the total cost for vandalism and thefts to the regions schools was more the £7 million, enough to build seven more schools. Title: “Paid for by us All” As children continue to play around the entrance of a school building, the report states that the cost per child for vandalism and theft is more than what schools are allowed to spend pay per head for books and other facilities. Representatives from Durham County, Newcastle City, Sunderland and Northumberland Education Authorities each give a breakdown of how much vandalism and thefts cost them and their rate payers each year. Sitting at his desk the Chief Constable of Northumbria Police explains that schools are soft target with vandalism and theft often being perpetrated by young people. Graffiti on the side of a school building is followed by a montage of various schools and school buildings with the reporter asking why are school building a ‘soft target’ for criminal damage and theft and why would people want to do it? A Principle of a College of Further Education explains why hundreds of thousands of pounds are needed to be spent on equipment in order to reflects modern commerce and to be able to teach up to date techniques. As he speaks a computer lab with robotic equipment, young women being taught in the college hair saloon and more women learning to type of modern electronic typewriters. A full skip is being collected from the site of a school fire. Around it the remains of school building are shelfs full of now burned and destroyed books and paperwork. Another school which has a building damaged by fire even with a caretaker living on premises. At a Cleveland Primary School equipment and workmen repairing fire damage which, the reporter explains, is both time consuming and costly. Interview with the Head Teacher who says his is plagued with senseless vandalism culminating with four burglaries two of which were also arson all within the space of fourteen days. The exterior of a classroom made up of large glass windows changes to the classroom itself damaged by a small fire. With her class working behind her the female teacher at this Cleveland Primary School explains the impact and disruption such fires and vandalism have on her pupil. As he walks through the grounds of a Northumberland High School checking for open windows, a caretaker reflects on his job and how vandalism and broken windows have become worse over the years costing the school thousands of pounds each year to replace. As he talks about fires and other acts of vandalism around the school premises views of said destruction and damage. As he returns home to his property on school premises he gives his wife some flowers, he talks about how this situation is affecting his wife who is fearful for him as you don’t know what you might encounter. A County Durham Primary School Head Teacher opens his garage door, backs his car out and drives to work. As he drives he talks about his fear of what he might find when he arrives, some sort of evidence of vandalism. On a snowy playing field children make a snowman changing to the Head Teacher holding a school assembly. As the assembly continues with the pupils enthralled by what the Head Teacher is doing, he talks about the accumulative and demoralising effect on children of vandalism and break ins. Pupils walk along a corridor in the school passing some of their artworks decorating walls, he talks about an extremely upsetting experience for both staff and pupils of coming into school one morning to find the school fishtank smashed and all the fish lying dead on the floor. Over a montage of pupils walking around the school or working in classrooms the Head Teacher provides details of pro-active measures he has taken to secure the school. Another Cleveland Primary School with many broken windows. Interview with the female Head Teacher about the issues she faces with broken windows and issues with having a flat roof, graffiti and the costs to the school to have it all removed or repaired. She explains the money she is given to fix issues of vandalism is the same amount of money she receives to buy books and equipment. A vandalised school roof with tiles missing or damaged and the lead flash stolen. In the schoolyard the Head Teacher, wearing a habit, of this Sunderland Primary School talks about the cost to her of repairing the roof being in the region of £2000. As the children play in the playground she talks about a break in the previous year in which all the schools electrical equipment was stolen, she goes on to talk about the issues she had in getting it all replaced. In his office a Head Teacher from a High School in Northumberland talks about the effect of vandalism and theft on his pupils both with regards the time it will take to get any replacement equipment as well psychological effects on pupils and staff of being burgled and feeling a sense of invasion. Two educational authority representatives explain who it is that most often break into school. Most breakings are done by pupils, ex-pupils or relatives of those attending the school says one while the other believes more professional thieves are become involved. Over a montage of vandalised and fire damaged schools, the question is asked why do they do it? Again, the voices of some of those who have featured so far in this programme respond with one man saying young people are disillusioned due to a lack of any real prospects in life or they are following pier pressure. Another believe the adage ‘idle hands are the devil’s hands’ and are angry against authority. Another wants to know why parents don’t know or seem to care to know where their children are or what they are doing. A representative of Northumbria Police Anti Vandalism Group wants to tackle the problem through education and by making the parents responsible for their children’s actions as ultimately everybody pays for the cost of vandalism. The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police again talks about the need for school discipline, to improve the attitudes and responsibility of pupils and parents. One of the educational authority representatives believes there are only two solutions, either schools will need to be built up more with better defences or society needs to tackle to root problems that create the vandal. In a computer lab a teacher draws down steel window shutters while outside large concrete bollards have been installed. A representative from Durham County Education Authority explains why these measures are necessary to be one step ahead of the criminal. As he talks about other security measures a teachers places pieces of media equipment into a security vault. The representative from Northumberland County Education Authority talks about the money his county has spent on crime prevention and its limited affect while the representative of Cleveland Education Authority talks about working closely with the police and employing a private security firm. At a Tyneside school members of Security Patrol Force prepare to go on patrol with torches and walkie-talkie’s being made available. The men leave their office heading off into the night leaving by mini van for other schools in the area. From the back of one of the vans a phantom road journey changes to a room in another school where another member of the team uses a radio to communicate with head office. Two men patrol the outside of a school using torches to check windows and doors are secure. The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police doesn’t believe private security is value for money because until other issues are resolved or that someone is on site all the time the school is still vulnerable to vandalism. The representative from Northumberland County Education Authority is critical of the police for not always attending break ins. Durham and Cleveland Education Authority representatives talk about what they are and would like to implement to improve security for schools in their area and ideas for long term solutions to the problem through education. In one Northumberland school Sergeant Gray from Northumbria Police is introduced to pupils who form part of the first junior crime prevention panel. He explains to the children what vandalism is. The Chief Constable of Northumbria Police explains that parents and those associated with children need to do all they can to ensure children accept their responsibilities, he provides further details and hopes the work will reduce the attacks on schools. Following the final comments relating to costs by the representative of Sunderland Education Authority a montage of vandalised schools. Title: End of Part One Part Two Returning to the Tyne Tees studio, Stuart McNeil leads a discussion on the issues raised in the report beginning with an interview with Peter Hodgson from the Association of Head Teachers whose own Newcastle special school has been broken into and equipment stolen only within the last week of the film being made. Other joining the wider discussion of school crime include Alister Buchan from Sunderland Education Authority, George McHugh a County Durham Head Master, Terry Casey the former General Secretary of The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NAS/UWT), Stuart Bell MP for Middlesbrough and Roger Kirk a Head Master from North Yorkshire. With the discussion coming to an end, Stuart McNeil provides details of next week edition which is a special report on what those people who have no hope of finding a job are tackling the idea of post-industrial life plus a report on the SDP-Liberal Alliance in the region. Credit: Executive Producer Michael Partington Film Camera Fred Crone Film Sound Ian Richardson Film Editor John Louvre Film Director Rob Cowley Production Team Ian Breach, Shirley Hewitt, Ed Skelding Associate Producers Paul Black, Ian Krause Studio Director Bernard Preston Producer Bob Farnworth End title: Tyne Tees. © Tyne Tees Television Ltd. MCMLXXXVI