Pupils’ protest at threat to crossing patrol

HUNDREDS of pupils marched in protest at council plans to axe their school crossing patrol.

They even dressed as lollipop men and women for the demonstration alongside the busy A53 in Endon.

Youngsters at St Luke’s Primary School came up with the idea after Staffordshire County Council announced plans to withdraw funding for all its 248 school crossing patrols from next September.

They were joined by pupils from Endon High School who are also helped across Leek Road by 80-yearold lollipop man Malcolm Gerrard, whose job is under threat.

St Luke’s headteacher Phil Wright said: “The idea to protest outside the two schools came from the children.

“We have a school council made up of students and they planned it all.

“They came up with the idea for the march and they also developed a chant and the idea of dressing up as lollipop men and women.

“Students from Endon High School also came along for the march.

“The children wanted to do this because they can’t understand why the council would make the choice to risk their safety.

“The children rely on these adults to make the right decisions.

“I don’t know how we will cross the road if this protest fails. It’s not right to expect a local business or parent group to resolve the situation and who would manage it?

“The council’s primary job is to keep children safe.

“As a school, I can’t make a choice to cut funding that would risk the children’s safety and I think the council should have the same priority.”

The march was led by Mr Gerrard, from Baddeley Green, who has been helping children across Leek Road for 25 years.

He said: “Somebody is needed to cross the kids over the road.

“In a morning when I’m crossing the children there is a lot of traffic because it’s rush-hour.

“We can’t get rid of the crossing patrol because the road is too busy and there are 200 children who I help to cross over in the morning.

“Everybody will be worried if there’s no one to help the children cross. The safety of the children should come before money, but the Government has got to provide it.”

The school council at St Luke’s Primary is made up of 13 students, aged between six and 11. Ten-yearold member Lillia Brothwood said: “It’s the council’s job to keep us safe and taking away our lollipop man is not keeping us safe.

There’s a lot of traffic on the road. It’s nicer when we have Malcolm there to help us cross.”

Fellow member Sam Johnson, aged 11, said: “We did the march because it will show people how much we love Malcolm and that we want to be safe. I feel safer when he’s there.”

Ten-year-old Ruby Hemnell added: “We hope we will save Malcolm by doing this.

He gives us high fives in the morning and makes it more fun.”

Six-year-old Harriet Finley, the youngest member of the school council, said: “I feel safer when Malcolm is there to help me cross the road. It’s really sad, Malcolm’s very friendly and I would miss him.”