Pamela Chesters, the Mayor’s Adviser on Health and Youth Opportunities, will today outline the Mayor’s commitment to tackling youth violence at a meeting with London colleges to share ways of successfully tackling and preventing gang problems.
She said: “Further education is a key pathway to success. It also provides a positive way forward for some youngsters who might otherwise embark on a downward spiral of antisocial activity. We need to ensure that colleges and their surrounding environs remain safe, productive environments where learning is supported. We know the majority of students in the capital are not involved in gangs but we must not overlook the threat local gangs can pose.
“The Mayor and I believe that educational achievement is key to setting young people on the right track and I hope by sharing experiences today we can adopt a joint approach to eradicate youth violence in our educational system.”
The Safe Colleges conference held at Sir George Monoux College in Walthamstow, follows the launch of the report ‘Tackling and Preventing Gang Problems in London Colleges' by the Association of Colleges London Region (AoC London).
Colleges report that for many students in deprived areas of London, attending provides the safest, least disrupted parts of their lives. However, 88 per cent of the educational institutions surveyed in the report, expressed some concerns about gangs and the majority had experienced problems either inside or out of campus that they believe to be gang related.
Kate Anderson, Regional Director of AoC London said: “London Colleges make great efforts to create safe and harmonious communities of students and to support young people whose lives outside College may be made difficult by gangs. As a sector, London Colleges have also been pro-active in addressing gang-related issues by supporting AoC London’s research into good practice and reaching out to partners such as the GLA, government and the third sector at this event. “
The Mayor’s ‘Time for Action’ youth plan recognises that failing to attend college has a major impact on young people’s education and life chances, making it more likely they will be unemployed and drawn into crime and anti-social behaviour. The Mayor is delivering a preventative programme of youth activities including sports provision, mentoring, and skills training for kids who have dropped out of education.