In the wrong light

I HAVE just left Bexhill High School and attended the 'leavers' party' on Friday May 27. I feel that not all perspectives were considered when writing this article and some facts show our school in the wrong light to the community of Bexhill. For a start, only about half of the teenagers who came to the Down that evening were from year 11 at Bexhill High School, meaning there were many others from other schools, year groups and even colleges.

A police officer told our whole year group two days before the party that we should have a good time, just not drink alcohol in public. However she did not tell us not to go to the party. From the article on the front page, it seems as though we were breaking rules by attending the party, when in fact we had been encouraged by a professional police officer to attend.

I only knew of two of the boys who were arrested the night of the party. Neither of these were current students at Bexhill High School, so this is false information that makes Bexhill High School look like a bad school.

This article will affect the work ethic of students who continue to study at the High School, as I know similar articles have affected me in the past. The residents of Bexhill are getting a false image of what Bexhill High School is like and this has lowered the self-esteem of many people who attend, or have attended the school. I understand that these articles make good news, but I feel that they are not always correct and can contain false or exaggerated information.

This then damages the reputation of the school, and means that our hard work for the past five years goes unrecognised by the public.

AMBER JAGOT

Former Bexhill High student