Youngsters in Aberdeen are being urged to sign a pledge, whereby they will not carry weapons and report anybody they see doing so.
The Life not Knife campaign has been launched by the city council, following the death of Bailey Gwynne at Cults Academy in October 2015.
The local authority’s education convener Angela Taylor visited Scotstown Primary School yesterday where she got people to join the new initiative.
She claimed it would create a “safer learning environment” for pupils.
And she added: “The safety and wellbeing of all pupils, staff and visitors to a school is of paramount importance.
“The anti-knife crime strategy aims to raise awareness about weapon and knife crime and the consequences of carrying a weapon and the types of situations that can lead to violence.
“Implementation of an anti-weapon crime strategy will help create a safe learning environment which will benefit everyone, and will contribute to a safer community and environment for all.
“I encourage all our young people to sign the pledge – life not knife – today.”
The campaign follows the recommendations of the Independent Review by Andrew Lowe – which was carried out in the aftermath of Bailey Gwynne’s death.
Alongside the pledge, posters will be placed in schools and letters sent to parents making them fully aware of the anti-weapon rules.
There will also be lessons on the consequences of carrying a knife given to all primary seven pupils in the city.
The strategy will be shared with other local authorities in the north and north-east of Scotland including Moray, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Gayle Gorman, the council’s director of education and children’s services said parents would also play a key role in the campaign.
She said: “Bailey’s death was a terrible tragedy.
“We are determined to carry forward this anti-knife crime strategy that raises awareness and involves not only pupils, their schools but their parents and guardians and a commitment from all to ensure a safe environment for all.”
