How to solve London's knife-crime epidemic...
I cannot believe how London is turning into the crime-capital of Europe (the world?). It is worrying. And embarassing.
My draconian solution (cos I believe only such an approach can now work. A cancer must be removed to save the rest of the body.) So I would,
1. Bring back the grammar schools. Education, or lack of, is at the root of the social breakdown in this country as non-academic children are forced to go through an essentially academic curriculum. The comprehensive one-shoe-size-fits-all experiment has not only failed but has destroyed this country. Bring back the 11-plus and Grammar schools for the academically gifted so poor and working class, but bright, children can educate themselves out of poverty and aspire to greatness.
2. Education should only be compulsory up to 14. You cannot force non-academic teens to become academic by making them stay on until 16 (now to be 18!) and get meaningless (and useless) qualifications just to help massage the Government's artificial employment and education targets. Also, get rid of all targets and league-tables --except the one's that matter: external examination results at 16 and 18. Also get rid of the ridiculous SATs.
3. Introduce mandatory Apprenticeships and Trade Schools for those who fail to (or do not wish to) get into the Grammar schools for the less academically-gifted. Or join the workforce at 14 doing manual labour such as cleaning the streets, collecting the rubbish, etc. (i.e. making a contribution to society). This sensible model used to work in the past and will do so again with sufficient government funding.
4. Introduce Military Schools for the problem children and unruly teenagers who do not learn or who misbehave at school.
5. Remove social security benefits for those who do not successfully graduate either from the grammars, the apprenticeships or trade or military schools, or who do not wish to work at 14, and draft them into the armed forces.
6. Reintroduce the full student grant and get rid of university fees for those bright enough to make it to University. Cap this at 10-15%.
For those going to the trade schools/apprenticeships give full government funding and financial support.
7. Introduce a one-year compulsory conscription into either the Armed or Police or Civil Services for 18 year olds.
8. With immediate effect arm all police officers in London with firearms and tasers with stop-and-search powers.
9. Use the Territorial Army to patrol the more violent and knife-crime prone burroughs of London.
10. Make it illegal to carry any type of knife or gun or other weapon with an immediate 10 year prison sentence if found with no hope of parole or reduced sentencing and with hard-labour. The alternative option will be to join the Army.
11. Introduce prison sentences with hard-labour.
12. Make it a criminal offense to be a member of a gang and outlaw gangs with the punishment for all those caught in gang warfare immediate dispatchment to Iraq, Afghanistan, or other theatres of war.
13. Reintroduce the death penalty for first-degree murder.
14. Ban all sorts of rap and other music in which the lyrics glorify violence, drugs, gang-membership, gang-wars.
This would do the trick...but sadly none of the political parties in the UK have the vision or courage to implement them.
My draconian solution (cos I believe only such an approach can now work. A cancer must be removed to save the rest of the body.) So I would,
1. Bring back the grammar schools. Education, or lack of, is at the root of the social breakdown in this country as non-academic children are forced to go through an essentially academic curriculum. The comprehensive one-shoe-size-fits-all experiment has not only failed but has destroyed this country. Bring back the 11-plus and Grammar schools for the academically gifted so poor and working class, but bright, children can educate themselves out of poverty and aspire to greatness.
2. Education should only be compulsory up to 14. You cannot force non-academic teens to become academic by making them stay on until 16 (now to be 18!) and get meaningless (and useless) qualifications just to help massage the Government's artificial employment and education targets. Also, get rid of all targets and league-tables --except the one's that matter: external examination results at 16 and 18. Also get rid of the ridiculous SATs.
3. Introduce mandatory Apprenticeships and Trade Schools for those who fail to (or do not wish to) get into the Grammar schools for the less academically-gifted. Or join the workforce at 14 doing manual labour such as cleaning the streets, collecting the rubbish, etc. (i.e. making a contribution to society). This sensible model used to work in the past and will do so again with sufficient government funding.
4. Introduce Military Schools for the problem children and unruly teenagers who do not learn or who misbehave at school.
5. Remove social security benefits for those who do not successfully graduate either from the grammars, the apprenticeships or trade or military schools, or who do not wish to work at 14, and draft them into the armed forces.
6. Reintroduce the full student grant and get rid of university fees for those bright enough to make it to University. Cap this at 10-15%.
For those going to the trade schools/apprenticeships give full government funding and financial support.
7. Introduce a one-year compulsory conscription into either the Armed or Police or Civil Services for 18 year olds.
8. With immediate effect arm all police officers in London with firearms and tasers with stop-and-search powers.
9. Use the Territorial Army to patrol the more violent and knife-crime prone burroughs of London.
10. Make it illegal to carry any type of knife or gun or other weapon with an immediate 10 year prison sentence if found with no hope of parole or reduced sentencing and with hard-labour. The alternative option will be to join the Army.
11. Introduce prison sentences with hard-labour.
12. Make it a criminal offense to be a member of a gang and outlaw gangs with the punishment for all those caught in gang warfare immediate dispatchment to Iraq, Afghanistan, or other theatres of war.
13. Reintroduce the death penalty for first-degree murder.
14. Ban all sorts of rap and other music in which the lyrics glorify violence, drugs, gang-membership, gang-wars.
This would do the trick...but sadly none of the political parties in the UK have the vision or courage to implement them.