S1 Ep6: Why are the police in our schools?

FOIs conducted by the Runnymede Trust reveal that there are almost 1000 police officer operating in UK schools, and there are plans to hire more. Children and young people are being robbed of their childhoods through criminalisation and surveillance in schools.

Why do the police appoint “Safer Schools Officers” when we know that police make marginalised children unsafe? Why are surveillance technologies being rolled out in schools? Why is community concern about all of this ignored? Co-hosts, Zoe and Larissa, ask all these questions and more on this week’s episode. Have a listen to learn more about the issues we’re facing and the orgs on the ground that give us hope!

References:

• The Runnymede Trust (2023) Over-policed and Under-protected Report
• No More Exclusions (2021) School Exclusions During the Pandemic: Why we need a Moratorium
• The 4 Front Project
• Safeguarding, Surveillance and Control: School Policy and Practice Responses to the Prevent Duty and the ‘war on terror’ in the U.K. Necla Acik, Jo Deakin and Bob Hindle 2018
• Curating Risk, Selling Safety? Fear of Crime, Responsibilisation and the Surveillance School Economy Emmeline Taylor
• Surveillance Won’t Protect Students with Chris Gilliard, Tech Won't save us Podcast

Articles to read:

• If exclusion is retribution, abolition in education is freedom! - Shado Magazine
• Obedience, Oppression and Capitalism: why we need to address the legacy of schools - Shado Magazine

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