I RECENTLY viewed some videos on social media about a student from one school freely entering into another school and attacking multiple students, teachers, and security officers. According to the reports, the student in question was under the influence of a controlled substance. Multiple police officers had scuffles with the student. It was absolutely terrifying for the students, as many went to social media to voice their concerns. It ended with the student in handcuffs and several teachers, students, and staff injured during the process. These security threats are becoming increasingly concerning, with an increase in incidents in schools in Guyana and across the world. I wanted to highlight this incident because I believe it is a major cause for concern, and many parents and guardians remain worried about the safety of their children in schools in Guyana.

Let me first say that many schools in Guyana already have security guards. This trend has been going on since I was in nursery school until university. Although I must add that the level of security one feels depends on the security guards and the companies employed as well. You might feel safe and secure when a certain security guard is on duty. Personally, it had nothing to do with gender, looks, or physical build — instead, I felt safe knowing they took their work seriously. A security guard is often the first person people greet, the first person they encounter or talk to upon entering a premise. As such, they ought to be attentive at all times. I have seen many instances of guards paying more attention to their mobile phones than to people entering or leaving the premises. This happens in both private and public spaces. As such, for the safety of our children in Guyana, I hope we consider training more security guards in self-defence and other physical defence strategies, in assessing certain behavioural traits, and in conflict resolution. Wearing a shirt with the word “security” isn’t enough to protect our children — we need more.
I also want to highlight that school infrastructure is very important for student and teacher safety. There should be multiple points of entry and exit for classrooms or buildings. As such, if a threat of violence blocks one entrance, the students and teachers have an alternative entrance to use. This is also essential for fire safety — not just for acts of violence. I also want to highlight that some schools, especially those in communities away from the coastlands, are penetrable through the fencing. The entire school compound should be securely fenced — to ensure unwanted people do not enter through cracks or breaks in the fence. I also observed, on a few occasions in the past, instances where students brought weapons onto the school premises. I propose installing metal detectors at school entrances. The simplest party or club usually has guards or metal detectors to ensure everyone in the space is free of weapons. As such, if these private businesses can take these measures — I believe it should be standard practice for public buildings, including schools.
Finally, I want to highlight that we often do not want to think of the worst, much less plan for it, but as I have always stressed in this column, “prevention is always better than a cure”. As such, I urge the relevant authorities to consider frequent drills to address threats of violence, which should be conducted by experts and professionals, such as members of the joint services. I know we often have fire drills in public spaces, but we should also have one specifically for threats of violence. I also want to point out the importance of counselling for students after these encounters. I hope the guidance counsellors and school welfare staff reading this column understand that a child can still be affected by violence simply by viewing it or observing it happening to others. As such, I hope counselling is available for those students who were recently affected by the act of violence in the specific school I mentioned earlier. I want us all to consider these recommendations seriously as a nation, because our children’s safety and lives depend on it. Collectively, we can make the spaces our children spend most of their time in safer and more secure.