Students injured in crush at UK school gate, parents demand action
Students at Gordano School in Portishead, close to Bristol, England, were injured after being "crushed" in the school's gate. Footage circulating on social media shows students attempting to escape the crush, stepping over one another. "Where are the teachers?" parents are demanding to know.
12:33 PM EDT, March 27, 2024
The distressing footage, which has spread across social media platforms, was reported by the "Daily Mail". It captures young people screaming, struggling to avoid being trampled, and helping each other out of the crowded situation. This incident took place on a Monday afternoon.
Parents express their outrage: "Where are the teachers?"
A concerned father, whose son sustained injuries during the chaotic moments at the school gate, places blame on the lack of teacher supervision. He argued that teachers should oversee the entrances and exits, noting, "When the gates open...there are seven hundred students heading for one gate," as he expressed his frustrations to the BBC. "Where are the teachers? Where are the teachers who should be organizing the children?" he questioned, pointing out the small size of the school gate.
School management responds to the injuries
The school management attributes the chaos to a delay in opening the gate, according to the BBC. "There was an incident at one of our exit gates. The gate did not open on time at the end of the school day, causing an increased number of students trying to leave at once, which resulted in injuries," explained school principal Louise Blundell.
- Our staff immediately addressed the situation, and several students were attended to by the school's medical responder before heading home. The following morning (on Tuesday), we reviewed the situation and offered support to those affected,” Blundell added.
Source: Daily Mail, BBC, X
