At the Anti-Gun and Knife Crime Seminar given by the Banooda Aid Foundation in Fulham yesterday the emphasis for progression was placed heavily on individual action. The event, sponsored by the Home Office, brought together a microcosm that appeared to me to be representative of all that is ill within the Somali community.
The presenter, a third sector advocate, stressed that the children of today [with confidence and self-belief] shaped their paths towards a better tomorrow. All of what is wrong with their environment can be changed with perseverance and hard work. To illustrate this point the presenter introduced his own story into the seminar; he came from an impoverished background in South India travelled the hard path towards education and arrived in the UK with the dream of achieving the best he possibly could. He succeeded and this was proof that, with hard work and perseverance , we could all make it in the society that we now call home.
This perspective however, removes all the complexities that are evident in mainstream society. All the subtle nuances that influence society and create an environment that is better for some and not for others. When prompted by me about if there were external factors, that lay beyond the realm of individual action, that shape our paths in life the presenter stopped talking. I asked if those in attendance went to Henry Compton School in Fulham [a number did] and asked that if a school allows for only 3 out of 10 pupils at 16 to leave with 5 good GCSEs is this a factor as to why kids may be failing. He agreed, but added that individuals controlled their own destiny and if a number of individuals managed to understand that they controlled their own destinies then this would have a cumulative effect and change would be the outcome.
Now, if this was the case the world would be a very different place. But it is quite clearly not the case. Schools are supposed to provide an environment that nurtures educational attainment for students from all backgrounds, it is not about universal education but a universal level of education. Human beings are creatures of habit; we must encourage good habits in order to avoid the prospect of the young picking up [and sticking with] bad habits. If we allow for an environment to persist that encourages bad habits and discourages educational attainment then we should not be too surprised when these same children/young adults end up acting out like they are today across the UK.
The group that hosted the event appeared to be well meaning and are actively trying to address issues that effect their community. But they fail to see the big picture. Individual action is compromised without collective responsibility. To this end the Community Education Forum has asked S.A.A.N to help mentor 45 Somali boys who attend Henry Compton School [25 of whom are monitored and considered to be at extreme risk of offending etc]. They are under performing and do not attend supplementary schools that are supposed to target pupils who need educational support. A parents evening, with these boys, is scheduled later this month and this discussion forum will involve S.A.A.N.
This is collective responsibility in action.
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