THE mum of a murdered Clacton schoolboy is devastated after being told knife crime awareness will not be included on the national curriculum – despite a petition calling for it gaining more than 50,000 signatures.

Caroline Shearer, of Aster Close, Clacton, called for weapons awareness to be taught in secondary schools after the fatal stabbing of her son Jay Whiston.

The 17-year-old Tendring Technology College student was stabbed outside a house party in Colchester in September 2012.

Mrs Shearer, who launched knife-crime charity Only Cowards Carry, presented the petition to 10 Downing Street alongside Colchester MP Will Quince in June.

But she has now received a letter from Edward Timpson, Minister of State for Children and Families, saying it will be left to individual schools to decide whether to teach pupils about knife crime in their personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) classes.

Mrs Shearer said: “I feel we have been fobbed off.

“We have had over 50,000 signatures and more are still coming in.

“The problem is that not every school has PSHE classes and those that do use it for sex education and internet safety."

For the full story, see this week's Clacton Gazette