HOPE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR EXCLUDED PUPILS

Children excluded from school with little or no hope for the future, were this week offered a lifeline by a Christian educational charity. The Lighthouse Group officially opened its third centre, providing a sanctuary for excluded children to learn at their own pace and to build relationships. At the launch, Big Issue founder John Bird explained how, as a young offender, he had been taught to read by a prison officer. Education, he said, had given him the chance to turn his life around – and it was important for organisations like the Lighthouse Group to take proactive measures. ‘You’ve got to give people opportunity, because hope’s not enough,’ he added. More than 50 young people are permanently excluded from school every day.

Source: Church of England Newspaper (27/6)