School chiefs will get campaign DVD

11:41am Tuesday 6th May 2008

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THE Government has dealt a blow to hopes of taking The Press's Live Now Drive Later campaign film against joy-riding into classrooms across England.

The Department For Children, Schools And Families has said it agrees on the importance of educating young people about road safety - but does not promote or endorse curriculum resources "unless they are part of a national strategy for raising standards".

But The Press today refused to take the decision lying down, and pledged to send copies of the DVD to every director of education in the country, along with a letter asking them to view the film and help get it into schools in their area.

We will also send copies to every fire chief in England, and ask them to use it in road safety roadshows they might be taking in to local schools.

The campaign was launched last year after an inquest heard how two teenagers and a Press van driver died in an accident in Stockton Lane, York, in 2006, caused when one of the teenagers took his father's car and crashed into the van.

Our 13-minute, hard-hitting film, featuring interviews with relatives of those killed and also a fictional dramatisation of a joy-riding crash, was made by York-based Flash Frame Productions.

It has been shown in schools across York and North Yorkshire as part of road safety roadshows organised by the emergency services, and has also been screened by individual firefighters, schools, road safety campaigners and young offender organisations elsewhere in the country, but The Press wanted the Government to help get it into schools nationwide.

News that it was unwilling to help came in a letter to City of York Council Labour leader David Scott, after he had written to Schools Minister Ed Balls in support of our campaign.

Our proposal now to write to education directors and fire chiefs won immediate support from Coun Scott, who said he found the Government's letter disappointing.

He said: "It is vital that this DVD is used in schools across the country. I will continue to advocate its use with neighbouring councils and would be pleased to assist with any initiatives The Press or other organisations who might want to sponsor the distribution of the DVD to all schools in the country."

York MP Hugh Bayley also backed our efforts, saying he would be happy to write a letter of endorsement, to be sent out with the DVDs.

Bill Hearld, deputy editor of The Press, said: "This is a disappointment, but we are determined not to let the Government's inaction prevent the Live Now Drive Later campaign being taken into schools nationwide.

"The Press will now take up the challenge and send copies of the DVD to the directors of education at every local authority in England, and to every fire chief.

"We will ask them to watch this hard-hitting, 13-minute film and see for themselves the powerful message that it sends out against joy-riding.

"We will ask the education directors to send copies of the DVD to schools in their area and ask teachers to consider using it in citizenship lessons. And we will ask the fire chiefs to make use of the film in road safety roadshows which are commonly taken to schools in many parts of the country."

Department's response to Live Now' letter

THE letter to David Scott by civil servant Pete Jinks, of the Department For Children, Schools And Families, said that the Government agreed on the importance of educating young people about road safety.

But he went on: "However, I should explain that the department's role is limited to setting the policy framework for the national curriculum of what is taught in terms of content, attainment targets, and how performance is assessed and reported.

"Ministers believe that individual schools are best placed to plan the organisation and delivery of lessons, with teachers using their professional judgement to choose the teaching method and any resources or materials they will use to aid delivery in the classroom.

"Consequently, the department does not pay for, promote or endorse curriculum resources unless they are part of a national strategy for raising standards."