Same story, different ideas

The School 'Riot'

Sometimes you can find one event reported in all the daily papers, and then it
is interesting to compare reports. On the next few pages you will find six
reports of something that happened in a school in Bideford in Devon.

You can decide for yourself whether any of the reports sound exaggerated!

Pupils riot at strike

school
CHILDREN ran riot at a mixed comprehensive school yesterday when their
pay-protest teachers refused to supervise the dinner break.
The youngsters threw eggs at remaining staff, smashed windows and milk bottles and then
marched out into the surrounding streets.
Worried residents alerted the police, who sent seven patrol cars to the school at Bideford,
North Devon.
Police said: "Considerable damage was done to the school.
"It was a case of pure lack of supervision. The headmaster and two staff were trying to look
after nearly 2000 children."

BORED

According to the police and education authorities, between 60 and 80 boys and girls took
part in the disturbance.
But some pupils and people living nearby put the figure at up to 300.
One youngster said: "We got bored because the classrooms were locked and there were no
activities."
The trouble was brought under control in 35 minutes and normal afternoon classes
resumed. Education chiefs ordered an inquiry.
Headmaster John Dare said that only 12 children caused damage and they would be dealt
with "very severely."

(Daily Express)
School Mob
Runs Riot
HUNDREDS of children rampaged through a school yesterday as their teachers joined in a
lunchtime strike over a pay claim.
At another school six boys were suspended after a mob of children smashed windows and
threatened the headmaster.
Trouble flared across the country as teachers working for thirty education authorities refused to
supervise children at lunchtime.
The worst violence was at Bideford School in Devon where a gang estimated at up to 300
strong stormed through the school smashing windows.
It took eight policemen to help headmaster John Dare restore order after he had tried in vain to
supervise 18,00 pupils single-handed.
Last night Mr. Dare said there were about a dozen ringleaders. Those who could be identified
would be " dealt with severely."

(Daily Mirror)

Police curb pupils' lunchtime riot

POLICE were called to control rampaging pupils yesterday, as teachers lunchtime sanctions
began to bite.
Doors and windows were smashed at Bideford Comprehensive, North Devon, by stone-
throwing troublemakers within a mob of about 50 unruly youngsters, some said to have hammers
and knives. Others looked on.

(Daily Mail)

Bored pupils riot as staff walk out

A MOB of 300 youngsters ran riot through their school yesterday - because they were bored.
It happened when teachers at the 100-staff comprehensive refused to do dinner duties and walked out in a
union dispute.
Only the headmaster and two teachers were on duty, and they wre powerless to act.
People living nearby watched, terrified, as gangs of 15 and 16 year olds rampaged through the 1000-pupil
school at Bideford, Devon, chanting "We want a riot" as they smashed windows.
Police who rushed to the giant complex in seven cars calmed the frantic pupils.

Hammers

As the afternoon lessons ended the youngsters said they were protesting about being confined to one
playground.
"We were bored and had nothing to do," they said. "We will continue our action until the teachers dispute
is over.
"We brought screwdrivers and hammers to school and stole knives from the canteen."

(The Star)
SCHOOLKIDS
RUN RIOT
OVER LUNCH
CHILDREN ran riot through a town yesterday
after being locked out of their school by work-
to-rule teachers.
About 300 pupils roamed the streets smashing
windows and terrifying families.
Police were called to quell the lunchtime
rumpus - the second day running there had benn
trouble at the 1780-pupil Bideford
Comprehensive School in Devon.
Headmaster John Dare said later his staff were
working to rule in support of the pay claim by
the National Union of Teachers.
Teachers have banned voluntary supervision
and there were only three on duty to control
pupils during breaks.
Angry
Mr Dare - who said he was "saddened" by the
incident - will be making a full report to the
Devon Education Authority.
A spokesman for the authority said: "We have
yet to establish the extent of the damage
caused."
(The Sun)
PUPILS GO ON
RAMPAGE
By COLIN RANDALL
POLICE were called to a comprehensive school
in Devon yesterday to quell a disturbance
involving at least 60 pupils.
Officers went to the 1700-pupil mixed school
in Bideford after nearby residents reported a
"developing riot."
The trouble, described by Devon County
Council as "a disturbance rather than a riot,"
occurred at lunchtime when only Mr John Dare,
the headmaster, and two members of staff were
available to supervise pupils because of the
teachers' pay dispute. Several windows were
smashed by children throwing bottles and
stones.
Police restored order after about 35 minutes
and normal lessons were held in the afternoon.
Report called for
Mr Dare estimated last night that only 50
pupils were directly involved. He thought that
no more than a dozen children were responsible
for causing damage.
Mr Joslyn Owen, Devon's Director of
Education, has called for a full report on the
disturbance.
Bideford school is divided into two
complexes. Yesterday's disturbance seems to
have stemmed from anger and boredom from
children excluded from one part of the building.
(Daily Telegraph)
 Answer the questions below in your English book

a. Which two newspapers tell us how long the trouble lasted? Do

they agree?

b. Which three newspapers tell us what weapons the pupils used?

Make a list of those weapons?

c. Four newspapers say that only windows were broken. What else

was broken according to the other two?

d. What reasons might there be for these differences between the

reports?

e. Two newspapers refer to the pupils as a "mob" and a "gang".

What idea does mob give? What idea does gang give? Why didn't

the newspaper use the word group instead?

f. One newspaper says the pupils "stormed" through the school.

Why didn't it say that they ran ?

g. One newspaper says that people living nearby watched

"terrified". What would these people have done if they were

really terrified?

h. Which report do you find the most dramatic or sensational?

Explain your choice.