The Electronic Telegraph 25 April 1995 HOME NEWS

Governors apologise to Blunkett for protest but militant teacher is let off

By Caroline Davies

James Stevenson, chairman of the governors at Crofton Secondary School in Lewisham, south-east London, where Fran Crowhurst is deputy head of Humanities, said yesterday: "As governors we will be writing to Mr Blunkett and offering an apology over what happened".

Ms Crowhurst, 38, was prominent among demonstrators who heckled and jeered Mr Blunkett, who is blind, during scenes condemned as "disgraceful" as he arrived at the NUT conference in Blackpool 10 days ago. He and his guide dog, Lucy, had to take refuge in an office.

She was seen on television punching the air and shrieking Leftist slogans while the 30-strong mob of hard-Left delegates thumped on the glass partition of the office where Mr Blunkett took refuge for 20 minutes.

Apologised for the effect adverse publicity had on the school

While Ms Crowhurst and another teacher involved, Eddie Parkinson, of Kenton School in Newcastle upon Tyne, both returned from the Easter break to give apologies to their head teachers, a third activist did not have to apologise. Stefan Simms, head of physics at Wembley High School, north London, received backing from his head teacher Stephen Armstrong .

Mr Armstrong said he believed press reports of the protest against Mr Blunkett had been exaggerated, and claimed that Mr Simms, a member of the Socialist Worker's Party, was a "hard-working teacher".

He said: "On the basis of all the evidence, including discussions with Mr Simms and other witnesses, the incident has been blown out of proportion. We realise that there was a noisy and some would say ill-mannered demonstration which Mr Simms took part in. While we don't support or condone the views expressed or the means by which they were presented, there seem to be no grounds at all for any action against Mr Simms."

None of the teachers concerned issued a personal apology to Mr Blunkett. A spokesman for Mr Blunkett said he would gratefully receive any letter from Mr Stevenson, as chairman of the governors at Crofton Secondary School.

'Obviously everything isn't 'hunky dory'

But he expressed regret that Ms Crowhurst's action had thrust the school on to the national stage. "We would rather be recognised for the good things that we have done rather than for this issue," he said.

The governors are to hold a full meeting next week. "Obviously everything isn't 'hunky dory' ," he said. "We have still got things we have to look at, like the impact it has had on the school and the implications it is going to have for the school."

Mr Blunkett's office refused to comment on the decisions taken not to discipline the teachers.