Dear All
Everyone agrees that it is important that the children should be safe and that the people who work with them are not paedophiles or predators.
New rules have been introduced on who can work with children, the only problem is that they are too bureaucratic and will not guarantee safety.
Ed Balls and the Labour Government have produced knee jerk reaction which will drive people away from volunteering to help children.
Now teacher organisations have spoken out about the vetting and barring scheme which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland calling for a rethink.
The vetting and barring scheme involves intrusive background checks and amounts to people paying a tax to prove they are not a paedophile.
The teacher organisations say that volunteer helpers will be deterred from taking part resulting in fewer work placements and language exchanges.
The Labour Government says issues raised are being considered by a review at present but why were these issues nor addressed before?
The new scheme started in October and caused widespread unease with criticism from a range of people, prominent authors Philip Pullman and Anthony Horowitz who regularly visit schools have been quite outspoken.
The author of the ‘paedophile tax’, Sir Roger Singleton, chairman of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority has been asked to look at issues needing clarification.
The problem is the Independent Safeguarding scheme is badly thought-out and conceived.
Seven main representative organisations for school and college leaders, says they take very seriously their duty to protect youngsters but argue the newly introduced system is "disproportionate to risk".
The school leaders say because of the scheme there will be a reduction in the support of parent volunteers in schools at events such as school plays and the essential fund raising. Other practical difficulties such as emergency support staff such as plumbers, heating engineers and lunchtime supervisors will fall under the ISA scheme.
The Independent Safeguard Authority is a complete nonsense because it creates an image of false security.
If paedophiles want to do get close to children, they can completely by pass the Independent Safeguarding Authority in its entirety, remain anonymous and not have to pay a single penny.
That is a fact.
One day, years ago, I was sitting in the gallery of the swimming pool area at Glasgow University when a University of Glasgow employee came up to me and asked me to look at a person swimming in the pool. The guy wasn’t a particularly good swimmer, I replied but the staff member told me to keep watching. Later he came back and asked me what I saw, I said the guy got out of the pool and went into the shower then came back and went swimming and that he had done it a number of times during his swim.
The University of Glasgow employee then told the guy was known for following people into the changing rooms to watch them shower.
So, just as the guy above, paedophiles will just turn up at Sport centres and other venues as customers subject to no checks.
Roger Singleton’s Independent Safeguarding Authority isn’t effective and isn’t useful, it is nothing more than a sham that the paedophiles and predators can simply avoid.
I leave the last word to Head teacher Julie Robinson;
"It will put people off being involved and it really leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. It's as if we're suspicious of everyone who wants to come and support us. And we really, genuinely respect their support and need the support of these helpers, on school trips, for sports, for all sorts of things within schools."
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Everyone agrees that it is important that the children should be safe and that the people who work with them are not paedophiles or predators.
New rules have been introduced on who can work with children, the only problem is that they are too bureaucratic and will not guarantee safety.
Ed Balls and the Labour Government have produced knee jerk reaction which will drive people away from volunteering to help children.
Now teacher organisations have spoken out about the vetting and barring scheme which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland calling for a rethink.
The vetting and barring scheme involves intrusive background checks and amounts to people paying a tax to prove they are not a paedophile.
The teacher organisations say that volunteer helpers will be deterred from taking part resulting in fewer work placements and language exchanges.
The Labour Government says issues raised are being considered by a review at present but why were these issues nor addressed before?
The new scheme started in October and caused widespread unease with criticism from a range of people, prominent authors Philip Pullman and Anthony Horowitz who regularly visit schools have been quite outspoken.
The author of the ‘paedophile tax’, Sir Roger Singleton, chairman of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority has been asked to look at issues needing clarification.
The problem is the Independent Safeguarding scheme is badly thought-out and conceived.
Seven main representative organisations for school and college leaders, says they take very seriously their duty to protect youngsters but argue the newly introduced system is "disproportionate to risk".
The school leaders say because of the scheme there will be a reduction in the support of parent volunteers in schools at events such as school plays and the essential fund raising. Other practical difficulties such as emergency support staff such as plumbers, heating engineers and lunchtime supervisors will fall under the ISA scheme.
The Independent Safeguard Authority is a complete nonsense because it creates an image of false security.
If paedophiles want to do get close to children, they can completely by pass the Independent Safeguarding Authority in its entirety, remain anonymous and not have to pay a single penny.
That is a fact.
One day, years ago, I was sitting in the gallery of the swimming pool area at Glasgow University when a University of Glasgow employee came up to me and asked me to look at a person swimming in the pool. The guy wasn’t a particularly good swimmer, I replied but the staff member told me to keep watching. Later he came back and asked me what I saw, I said the guy got out of the pool and went into the shower then came back and went swimming and that he had done it a number of times during his swim.
The University of Glasgow employee then told the guy was known for following people into the changing rooms to watch them shower.
So, just as the guy above, paedophiles will just turn up at Sport centres and other venues as customers subject to no checks.
Roger Singleton’s Independent Safeguarding Authority isn’t effective and isn’t useful, it is nothing more than a sham that the paedophiles and predators can simply avoid.
I leave the last word to Head teacher Julie Robinson;
"It will put people off being involved and it really leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. It's as if we're suspicious of everyone who wants to come and support us. And we really, genuinely respect their support and need the support of these helpers, on school trips, for sports, for all sorts of things within schools."
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Andy. George is considered by most as a decent and thoughtful blogger. Can't say i've seen any anti islamic views. On the contrary, George was campiagning for the release of an african girl only a week ago. So I doubt he is a racist as you persist in asserting.
ReplyDeleteDear Juan
ReplyDeleteI am the only guy I know who was kicked out of the University of Glasgow for giving advice to an asian et al.
The guy was a staff member at the Dental Hospital, an Iraqi or Iranian muslim.
I still have the original signed letter written by a director of the University of Glasgow.
One thing to throw abuse but calling me racist is not on and I therefore deleted his post.
So one of my claims to 'fame' is I am the first student in the entire history of University of Glasgow to be banned for giving advice to an asian et al.
They were forced to reinstate me to cover it up.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Dear Glasgow University clown
ReplyDeleteI deleted your post, if you want to call me a racist, have the balls to do it publicly.
I am not going to cover all your shit but for the record.
Islamophobia?
Because I believe that Anas Sarwar is going to win Glasgow Central, I taught him briefly at Uni when he joined the boxing club, which I taught at for free, he is muslim.
So, you got that wrong.
Anti-englishness?
As people who were at University of Glasgow know my training partners were mostly from England.
So, you got that wrong.
some sort of anger complex?
You’re the one going off in an angry rant.
So, you got that wrong.
You say that you knew me vaguely that makes you an ‘expert’ on me?
So, you got that wrong.
You then tell me that you have a friend who ‘alerted’ you to this blog. I personally doubt that you have a friend and unless I have directly wrote about you why would you post here?
Why would you remember someone who you say you vaguely knew so far back?
Whoever you are go back to the University of Glasgow and demand a refund on your education because you don’t have it upstairs.
All allegations wrong, not very impressive are you!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University