The Dean’s Blog: ‘Stolen or Lost’ part 5

For the past four years I have written a Dean’s Blog about theft in school. These four blogs have been provoked by a series of thefts of students’ belongings. In the past I have placed the word ‘thefts’ in quotation marks or used the noun phrase ‘misplaced belongings’. I have done this in the past for two reasons. The first is that I have taken pains not to use the word ‘theft’ as it implies at the very least a deliberate antisocial act or even a crime probably planned, definitely committed and I did not want to impugn your/our children, nor the staff nor our visitors.

The second reason is because of circumstances. An example of a ‘circumstance’ today, a wet Wednesday halfway through October, might be that there are about one hundred items in Lost Property. Another might be that the object stolen was left in school in an open place as opposed to the places locked up and designated, overnight or even over a weekend. Another might be that the items appear not to have been named or marked in some other way to indicate the owner which is often a deterrent. And in the past these blogs have been the only ones to provoke a reply. In each case the riposte was to the effect that these items were ‘stolen’ not lost and that it was mainly the school’s fault and/or responsibility.

As regards responsibility (I won’t address the concept of blame and fault as it gets us nowhere and raises emotions as we travel there) it is quite clear that ICS has a major responsibility and it is twofold. First, we must provide secure, metal, lockable lockers, with back up keys, in easily accessed and therefore visible places. Second, we must ensure that our education and philosophy cover the teaching of good citizenship, the respect for other people’s property and the respect for law and common decency. And I think the ICS does this. What ICS is not responsible for is the hour by hour, daily vigilance over our students’ valuables. That is the owner’s responsibility; so that a valuable phone or mp3 player or wallet containing valuable items is not placed in a bag and left there over a school day often left unattended. There is a third component. I am a parent and accept I have a responsibility to co-teach these ideas at home, too, from a much younger age, as well as to discuss and try to limit costly or valuable items being bought for or brought to school. As a parent I have to nag about handing in a one-off item (a passport, for example) to the office for safe keeping until the end of school, in the ICS Secondary School to Ms Downie or Ms Plouidy. And I have to nag that other items are locked in the school locker assigned to him or kept in a pocket of a garment that is not going to be discarded on a bench or chair and then forgotten when the next bell rings.

In the meantime when things go ‘missing’ we can only take a note of the details and the circumstances and keep an eye open and commiserate whilst adding the unwelcome advice: ‘next time lock it in your locker!’ And thus this combination of nagging, education and provision of secure places takes away the opportunity that a thief needs to practice his or her malicious pastime.
And, note, not a word about blame!