Redbank Plains State High Year 11s and 12s versus police in soccer game

A match between Ipswich high school students and police officers was all part of a plan to promote a positive relationship between the two groups.

Redbank Plains State High students played against Queensland Police officers in a game of soccer on Wednesday morning. Photo: Ebony Graveur

It may have looked heated on the field but a friendly soccer match between high school students and police has only strengthened the bond between both groups.

Wednesday morning’s game was all part of a plan to promote a positive relationship between Redbank Plains High School students and local police.

Since the start of the year, Senior Constable Adrian Daniels has worked alongside the students as the school’s police officer.

School principal Tom Beck said Snr Cons Daniels helped show students the police were there to help.

“He has no role in the school in terms of discipline but focuses on building positive relationships with the students and is a point of communication,” Mr Beck said.

“It’s all about having a positive interaction between the school community and the police.

“There’s lots of opportunity for police and students to mix in a collaborative way and it’s working really well.”

Wednesday morning’s game was all part of a plan to promote a positive relationship between Redbank Plains High School students and local police. Photo: Ebony Graveur

Snr Cons Daniels helped line up the soccer match and joined his colleagues on the field.

“I stay back after school with the kids and do a lot of after hours programs,” Snr Cons Daniels said.

“It’s to support them, engage with them.”

The open line of communication and trust means students in need of any sort of assistance are able to more easily find it.

Mr Beck said the benefits were obvious.

Previously, the school’s rate of suspensions was worst in Queensland.

The open line of communication and trust means students in need of any sort of assistance are able to more easily find it. Photo: Ebony Graveur

In the past four years, the number has halved.

“Now we’re not even in the top 20 (schools for suspensions),” he said.

“And (we now have) just a third of the number of exclusions from the school.

“We haven’t lowered our standards – the children are much more positive about the time here so they play up less.”

Year 12 student Patrick Bukize Mwandu, 17, played alongside his classmates.

“It was an interesting game, especially to play against the police officers,” Patrick said.

“It was actually an honour for me to play.”

He said his team was up against a strong opponent.

“It was a challenge – they’re really fit. We are no fitter than them,” he said.

Patrick, who plans to go to uni after graduating high school, has big plans to rock the business world.

Since the start of the year, Senior Constable Adrian Daniels has worked alongside the students as the campus school-based police officer. Photo: Ebony Graveur

He said he saw himself as an entrepreneur in 10 years’ time.

“Next year, I want to do accounting at uni because I’m interested in numbers,” he said.

“I really want to be an entrepreneur, if I have the opportunity.”

Talented artist Mushtaq Mohammadi, 17, also played on the soccer team.

The Year 12 student lives and breathes art and impresses his large online following with his digital designs.

“I do digital, traditional, sketching, painting,” Mushtaq said.

“I hope to make art a career for myself.”

Read more news by Ebony Graveur here.