Islington Council has today (Oct 05) announced that it will be analysing the link between school exclusions of black and minority ethnic children and their involvement in youth crime, gangs and serious youth violence.
The research is deigned to strengthen the Council’s evidence for action that it is taking currently to tackle inequalities within the area.
Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee will lead the analysis, due to the fact that they have already reduced school exclusions in recent times with similar efforts.
It is hoped that this research will not only solidify already existing plans, but will also help to inform the Council on the steps they can take to reduce inequality in the area, with particular focus on BAME people.
Islington Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, said:
“Our approach places young people at the heart of everything we do, and builds on recent successes that have seen fewer Black and minority ethnic students excluded from school and entering the criminal justice system.
“But this cohort still features disproportionately relative to their numbers in the wider community, and this is a deep-seated, complex and often challenging area, so we need to think differently and be innovative about how we address that.
“This action plan is the result of collaborative working with colleagues at Haringey Council and criminologists at City University. Together with local police, the courts and voluntary sector organisations, we are leading on this work and are passionate about tackling disproportionality in the justice system.”
