Safety in Schools – Safety and security in schools is a complicated issue. It just not only affects the children, but it has an equal effect on the teachers, parents, and the administrations in various ways. While it is everyone’s responsibility, schools too should remind respective stakeholders from time to time to ensure safety in schools.

Children these days spend most of their time in the school, and this makes it important for all the stakeholders to ensure that every student is safe and secure inside the school campus and when commuting from and to the school every day.

Mentioned below are a few suggestions that can help to enhance the safety in schools, making them the sacred places they ought to be in the first place.

Combining Surveillance Cameras with New Technologies

Most of the schools have CCTV cameras as a part of their school security system. But are they really good enough to prevent an incident or do they actually help the security personnel in taking immediate action? CCTV cameras can be installed in every corner of the school so that it captures the activities, but a school’s security plan needs more than that!

CCTV cameras, when used alone, cannot ensure the complete safety of students on the school campus. But, they can be used along with the latest security methods that help track the student and raise an alert when the child is in trouble. Such measures help schools to take their security measures to the next level.

Fence, Gate and Appoint Security Personnel near the School Entrance and Exit Gate

Well, this too is often taken care in most of the private schools in the country. Did you ever wonder how an intruder can enter the school premises when the entrance and the exit gates are well-guarded? So, this means that the school security needs more than security personnel screening visitors at the gates! Don’t you agree?

Let’s take an example for better understanding. Security personnel at the school gate can easily stop an intruder from entering. What if the threat is from someone who is already on the school premises? A student or a teacher can have a threat from a peer or even from an employee.

Schools can use “presence-based technology,” which uses sensors to alert security when an authorized person enters a restricted area. This way, a worker cannot enter the classroom or cannot even stay on the premises after their shift. Students too cannot stay back in the premises after the school hours not can they hinder around during their class time. Any violation of security can be addressed immediately. 

Students Should Possess Their ID Cards – Always

Every student in a school is provided with an Identity Card, as it helps the authorities to account the members in the school properly. What if, the identity card issued to a student can do more than just carry information about the child?

New-age technologies can be combined with smart algorithms to ensure the child carries a “Smart-ID Card,” that has an in-built sensor and helps track every moment. Let’s understand its benefits using a few examples.

A sick student enters a washroom and falls unconscious. Teachers or fellow students might not take notice of it immediately. But, with the help of smart sensors and real-time alerts, an alert is sent to the concerned person when the child does not move for a few minutes or does not step out of the washroom. This way, the child can get immediate medical attention.

Use of such a technology can also help keep a tab on incidents when the student is within the school campus but not in the class, or when a male student is attempting to enter a female washroom and more.

Monitor Student Activities

Every student should be monitored when on the school premises as it helps schools prevent them from getting involved in any shady or wrong moves. While surveillance cameras can be used to monitor student activities, use of an intelligent, sensor-based security system can be of great help. With real-time tracking, schools can make sure that students are at the right place at the right time, avoiding any trouble. An alert is raised to the security when the system notices an unusual behavior in a student, ensuring their well-being.

School management can also train the school students to report any suspicious activities to the concerned person, by teaching them the importance of school safety and security.

Restrict Entry to Unauthorized Places

School administration can create zones in schools and allow or restrict access to students, teachers, and employees. By using an alert based security system, schools can monitor all areas within the school premises and avoid unwanted fatalities. School can easily restrict the entry of students to unsafe zones or near places like swimming pools when the coach is not available. When the student violates any safety law, the security system triggers an alarm.

Apart from technology, the other ways schools can feel safe are,

• By establishing very clear security policies and need to reinforce goals
• Assessing the school by knowing the policies and the internal dynamics
• By encouraging reporting of suspicious and unwanted incidents like bullying
• By making sure students carry their ID cards, always
• Training students on safety and security
• By installing a central security system
• By issuing access cards to restricted areas
• By teaching teachers to be vigilant

Safety of students in schools is the responsibility of the parents, the teachers, and the school authorities as well. School safety is much beyond technology and equipment. Schools must create a well-balanced, caring environment and teach students to treat each other with trust and respect.