Among numerous things parents consider before enrolling their children in a school is security. The school should be another safe haven away from home. Parents feel schools are the safest place where the students are safer than in any other place excepting their homes. But it is no longer the same scenario anymore – with the ever-increasing cases of kidnapping in the country, and especially of pupils and students, there is a need to increase school safety and security.
Likewise, it is the duty of the parents to educate their children on how to identify when something is wrong and how to react to it. Conversely, it’s the complete responsibility of the school management to make sure that every student is closely monitored inside and outside the class while on the school campus.
Here are the basic ways a school should be accustomed to ensure and enhance safety.
1. Installation of CCTV
Everywhere in school, each classroom, corridor, corner of school there should have CCTV cameras. The CCTV cameras should always be on and be continuously monitored. So that anything happens in a school that can be seen by anyone. Placing cameras at noticeable places throughout the school take advantage of school safety.
2. Verification of Staff
It is recommended that the school management conducts verification of all staff especially the non-teaching staff (security officers, cooks, nurse, drivers, cleaners, etc.) before hiring them either on a permanent or temporary or contract basis.
3. Buses with GPS facility
Early this year, a pupil and teacher were kidnapped while on their way to school on the bus. If perhaps the bus had a GPS tracker, they would have been able to monitor and track the movement of the bus to and fro its destinations. All buses in school are equipped with GPS facility making it very realistic for parents and school management alike to track the children traveling in the bus.
The buses should also have CCTV cameras installed to assure the double safety of students while traveling. Transport attendance of every single student availing the transport service while boarding on and off the bus is highly suggested.
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4. Monitor Visitors Carefully
Schools should become more assertive in selecting visitors, by employing security personnel who will register the visitors when entering the building or campus. The child should be allowed to leave the campus only when an authorized adult comes to pick the child up. Staff and students should be instructed to report people without proper identification. In any case, where people other than parents come to pick up a child, school administration should ask the parents to give the names of the adults who are further required to show identification to the school personnel while picking the student at the school.
5. Regular Workshops
Train your team to be cautious in spotting events before they happen. Conduct regular workshops to inform students, parents, and teachers. Also, hold regular explaining sessions with non-educational staff such as drivers, cleaners, and attendants.
6. Preventive Measures
Take preventive measures from unwanted incidents taking place. Make all teachers from every class responsible for the safety of the children in the school. Keep empty or unused rooms under lock and key at all times and make sure that no child is ever alone with any male staff.
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