UK: 5-Year-Old Finds Way Out Of School Grounds
Written by Deborah J Thomas
Filed under: Administrators, K-6, News, People Involved, School Grade Level, School Safety Issues, Security, Students
When I was reading this piece of news, I was horrified, to say the least. When parents send their 5-year-old children to primary school, they basically put their trust in the school staff to take care of their children’s lives. I know how difficult it can be for parents to let go of their baby and leave them out of their sight, outside of the relative safety of the house, and leave them in school.
So what happened exactly? Apparently, a young girl from the Kerr Mackie Primary School in Leeds wandered out of the school grounds after a PE class. Based on reports, the child was changed after the class and was then left by the teacher who took the class (where, the news report does not say, but perhaps to the next class). She was left behind because she was supposed to find her shoes. The little girl then got distracted or confused and walked out of the school, crossed busy roads, and went home to find it empty so she headed off to the home of her baby sitter (or childminder as the British say). Mind you, she did all this in her bare feet!
First point – the teacher should not have taken the class with her and left the girl behind. What was she thinking? Though we should teach children to be responsible at young ages, why would you leave a solitary child alone? She could have waited with the whole class until the girl’s shoes were found. Or maybe she could have called another school staff member to accompany the child.
Second point – how could the child have gone past the school gates without anyone noticing? Does this mean that they have no one manning the gates at all times? Perhaps there was no need for that but this incident shows that there might be some need for it now.
I shudder to think what might have happened to that little girl. Well, at least she is safe now. The head teacher of the school has rendered a formal apology complete with measures that they are going to take to ensure that nothing like this happens again. If I were the parents, though, how easy can I rest knowing that an incident like this occurred – in a primary school? In this day and age, the streets is no place to be for a 5-year-old wandering around alone.
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Well I sure feel it was a miracle she managed to go as far as she did without anyone noticing. I guess if there was one positive outcome, she is developing strong, tough feet — to walk a mile, crossing streets, barefoot, she must often go without her shoes.
Dawn