wfn.org | EA NEWS: Church Work with Excluded Pupils Praised

["EAUK Press Office" <press@eauk.org>]

Church Work with Excluded Pupils Praised
For Immediate Release: 29/05/98

Church-based projects working to support the families of children
excluded from school have been praised by Angela Sarkis, chief
executive of the Church Urban Fund and a member of the Prime
Minister's Social Exclusion Unit.

Ms Sarkis was addressing 50 project workers at a south London
consultation meeting, hosted by the Evangelical Alliance UK's Youth
and Children's Unit.  The Evangelical Alliance brought the projects
together to enable greater networking, sharing of ideas and promotion
of best practice.

The conference heard that the issue of school exclusions is a real and
growing problem for society.  In the 96/97 academic year, 13,500
children were subject to permanent exclusion orders from school.  Just
one-quarter of schools are responsible for two-thirds of all
exclusions - if that quarter dropped the number of exclusions to the
national average, exclusions would halve overnight.

The Social Exclusions Unit has just produced a report on school
exclusions - one of three concerns the Prime Minister asked them to
address.  Ms Sarkis told the meeting that church-based initiatives
were highlighted in the report for the successful work they are doing,
and she left two challenges for churches.

"One is to provide that support which no Government policy can
provide: working with people on the ground in what I call a holistic
way.  Excluded pupils will disappear from official records."

She added: "The only ones who can find them will often be people who
are based in those communities, people who are not working to a
bureaucratic job description but people who are in the job because
they have a passion for the work and a passion for the people.  We are
talking about going underground and finding vulnerable kids and
bringing them to the attention of people who can help them." 

"Secondly, there is also a more prophetic role I think we have all got
- and that is to continue challenging the structures and the system
because despite the report, despite the work that this unit is doing,
kids will continue to be excluded."

Graham Dale, co-ordinator of the Youth and Children's Network said:
"This has been a timely and important consultation.  There has been an
exponential growth in excluded pupils.  In many respects the works
starts now and we are urging all interested groups to support parents,
teachers and the excluded young people themselves, and to work
constructively with the government on their behalf."

Ends

For further information contact
EA communications officers:
Keith Ewing 0171 207 2116 mailto:kewing@eauk.org
Gavin Drake 0171-207 2117 mailto:gdrake@eauk.org

http://www.eauk.org/press/pr1.htm

Evangelical Alliance UK,
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186 Kennington Park Road,
London, SE11  4BT