Security at School's .. What's your Childs School Security like ?

Question

My Kids went back to School Yesterday - and it was like ... Fort Knox - CCTV everywhere - Gates, Fences .Security Guards even 2 Police officers staioned inside the School ! Does it make you fell secure or does it make you feel un-easy..?

Answer 1

My school is very low security but they trust us not to leave and its hard to get into our school un noticed. We have CCTV in the PE room and outside a few rooms, if we wanted we could actually leave the school in the middle of the day, but like I said, they trust us, there is obviously a gate to stop people coming in at night and the school caretaker actually lives on the school grounds in a tiny little house.
I wouldn't give it a second thought about our security, I am comfortable that no rapists, terroists or murderers are going to enter the school unnoticed.
But i guess loads of security migth make somebody wonder why there is loads of security, but I would feel secure, as that is its intention. But I guess it makes you wonder are they keeping people in or out? More power to the school though if your kids come first!
You can always talk to the head teacher about it! What is your opinion and the school's security?

Answer 2

Yes afraid that my school, which I have just left (hooray!) was like that. In the middle of a council estate. Big gates with spikey things on top of them CCTV, even though it is all broken.

We also used to have a police officer working directly with the school, but for some reason he was stationed elsewhere. But, perhaps he could have been made useful, I don't know if you remember the 'Happy slapping' craze that happened a while ago, well in my school, there was seriously a time when you couldn't walk down a corridor without having to watch your back and risk getting slapped, and many times I did. The sad thing is that the security is needed. It makes me feel un-easy and sad that some people feel the need to vandalise and assault people for no reason.

For instance, when my school was still being built, two windows were smashed! Can you believe it? A whole new school, worth £15m and a gang of yobs took it upon themselves to ruin it before it was even built. Ridiculous.

But schools are also like prisons. In my school, to get out at lunchtime you had to have your own identity card giving you special authority to leave the premisis which could be applied for in a long process. There is no just walking into and out of school at your own will. And good reason for it, else you would get the gangs of all the expelled and suspended students coming into school to finish of their fights etc.

Though, a funny thing is that when I went to Holland to visit my cousins, they showed me their school. I was amazed, I just walked straight in, no one hardly looked at me. I mean I could have had a gun or whatever and no one would have reaslised. I was just amazed, and they were just as amazed that I thought it was amazing! Also, they don't have to wear school uniform, so there was no way of distinguishing me from anyone else. And they can go wherever they want during lunch!

It is amazing how different countries can be isn't it. However, my cousins were saying that there were very few fights. Maybe we just have a problem with our 'chav culture' in England. Or perhaps these people see it as a challenge to vandalise the school because they have tried to protect it so well.

Answer 3

Jeez I'm glad I live in the UK!!

My kids don't have any security at all, no cctvs, nothing!! The teachers wont let the kids leave the playground until an adult picks them up but thats only for the first year!!

I suppose if the school is really rough then it would make me feel a bit safer having so much security. Are all the schools like that in the US?

Answer 4

my 8 yr old has all of the above + drills as to what to do if some one has a gun & what to do if a stranger appears any whear near the play ground(surrounded by a High Chain link fence) and they have terrorist drills.
I say it's a sighn of the times and at least their doing every thing that can be done to protect our children.
We live in Ar. rember a few years ago there was a elementry school student in Jonesburrow Ar that shot his teachers& Classmates? Rember the High school kid that shot up his teachers & class mates? Do you know how many children are kidnapped near their school?
By the way we live in a Veary Nice area less than 1/2 a mile away from the school.In a city that has viritually no crime rate and no Gangs at all.

Answer 5

I think the police officers outside the school is a bit much. The school must have real problems to warrent that. My daughters school has security doors, thats about it.

Answer 6

I'm shocked! THese are schools??? I'm a teacher and we do have good security at my school- secure outside doors- protocols to make sure children are safe (especially when picked up and dropped off by parents/ carers) but how would you feel learning in a cage? Aren't things going a bit too far?

Answer 7

bloody hell. where do you live in some kind of rough area where people carry guns etc around?.... i think thats abit over the top. i mean come on why the hell do you need police officers? Yeah may be a few fights but you dont need secrity aswel.

Answer 8

thats a bit much, 2 cops ffs, that would freak me out, but hey if its a rough area, lots of drugs and weapons then power to the school for putting your kids first xx

Answer 9

my kids school has them coded locks and intercoms on every door its really good the gates are locked after registration so nobody can get in.

Answer 10

Nice one Jacqueline e