Schools should determine whether a student’s strip search is “absolutely necessary” before involving the police, government guidance says.
The Education Department says staff need to ensure “less invasive” approaches have been tried first.
And if a police strip search is instituted, staff must “at all times work for the welfare of the students.”
The guide follows the strip search of a 15-year-old girl known as Child Q in 2020 at an east London school.
A shelter report released in March found that search was unjustified and that racism “probably” played a role.
- According to the report, black children are being monitored in schools
- “We need more principals who look like me”
The guidance, released on Wednesday and taking effect in September, says staff should “assess and weigh the risk of a possible strip search to the student’s physical and mental well-being and the risk of not recovering the suspect item.”
“Once the police are on school property, the decision to conduct a strip search is their sole decision,” it states, “and the school’s role is to work for the safety and well-being of the students involved.”
The guide also emphasizes:
- When strip-searching a child, at least two other people must be present
- Parents must be contacted as soon as possible – and before the search, unless there is “imminent risk of harm”
- If a parent wishes to be present, “the school should allow this where possible”
“Schools should keep records of strip searches conducted on school premises and monitor them for emerging trends,” she adds.
Child Q was brought into the school’s medical room from an exam and strip-searched for cannabis by two female Met cops while the teachers stayed outside.
No other adult was present and her parents were not contacted. No drugs were found.
For the youth involved in unjustified school searches, this guide comes far too late.
It’s seen as a step in the right direction – but many will wonder why this advice wasn’t made clear earlier when it does seem like common sense.
Words will only go so far — and what child safety activists say is really needed are improvements in staff training to ensure black children are treated in schools with the same fairness, dignity and respect as their peers.
Add Comment