Immediate action on Bailey Gwynne review pledged
Work will begin immediately to implement the recommendations contained within the review into the death of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne, officials have vowed.
Work will begin immediately to implement the recommendations contained within the review into the death of schoolboy Bailey Gwynne, officials have vowed.
The Aberdeen Chief Officers Group said it is “determined” to implement any changes which could reduce the likelihood of such an incident happening again.
In doing so, they paid tribute to the strength shown by Bailey's relatives following the tragedy.
In a statement, the group said: “The Chief Officers Group pays tribute to the extraordinary dignity and fortitude shown by Bailey's family.
“We also gratefully acknowledge the incredible work undertaken by many staff across all of our organisations as the terrible events unfolded on October 28.
“The Chief Officers Group and the teams we represent are determined to implement any changes to practice that aim to decrease the likelihood of such an awful event taking place in the future.
“But we are well aware that no amount of future change will alter the fact that Bailey is no longer with us and that his loss continues to be keenly felt.”
Angela Scott, the chief executive of Aberdeen City Council; Chief Supt Campbell Thomson, divisional commander for the north east at Police Scotland; and Malcolm Wright, the chief executive of NHS Grampian, are in the group, which commissioned the review.
The group said it is “committed to taking forward all the actions that fall to our organisations individually or jointly to progress”.
The statement added: “Work will begin immediately on the implementation plan called for by Mr Lowe's final recommendation and reports will be taken into our organisations' governance structures over the coming weeks.
“Two of the recommendations are made to the Scottish Government and we will work closely with colleagues there.”
Officials have set up a helpline to be manned by educational psychologists until 5pm on Thursday. It can be reached on 01224 764515.
Cults Academy parent council has thanked the school staff and the local community for the support pupils have received over the last year.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats called on the Scottish Government to move quickly and review the rules governing the sale of weapons online.
Their justice spokesman, Liam McArthur MSP, said: “Stopping knives getting into the wrong hands in the first place is vital. It is right that teachers and the police can search children when there are grounds to believe this has occurred. There is also a clear case for looking again at controls on the sale of weapons online.”
Scottish Labour's justice spokeswoman Claire Baker MSP said lessons must be learned from the case.
She said: “The tragic death of Bailey Gwynne shocked Scotland and it is right that this review is given serious consideration by the authorities, the Government and Parliament.
“We must ensure our schools are safe places of learning and that headteachers have the ability, working in partnership with local policing, to keep pupils and staff safe.”