future vision |
The Schools Support
Service team agenda has changed a lot since its formation. Back at the beginning,
the notion was of a sort of Beadle-like officer, only rather more humane
than in Dickens' Oliver Twist, but an officer whose uniformed presence would
stop pupils from wandering away from the desired path. But the Marshals, Mentors and volunteers of Schools Support Service are far removed from the image of enforcement officers. These people counsel young would-be offenders, advising them to keep clear of trouble, and explaining why. "Even the most unruly student knows that when they act anti-socially, they are letting themselves down as well as the rest of society," a Mentor said. "We learned to get through to the good side of these troublesome pupils and point out a few facts of life, observations that they know themselves, yet need to hear again." As well as virtually talking pupils out of causing trouble, the Mentors and Marshals know that they have to be recognised as being almost omnipresent. "To prevent intruders entering buildings, we have to be seen nearby," a school Marshal said. "We have to turn on instant diplomacy when angry parents arrive at the school. We have to be at the gates when some pupils decide they want to leave school early, be in the corridor when a fight threatens and on the school bus when bullying is in the air." |
 |
| Trouble-breaker … Mentors and volunteers win pupils away from lawlessness by simply talking to them. "Pupils prefer to do the right thing," a Mentor explained. "They often just need to be reminded of the harm that a bit of over-reaction can do." | |
| For this very challenging work to continue into the future, Schools Support Service need volunteers and financial help. |
