Gaonomics

Children’s safety is one of parents’ top priorities and it is therefore also very important to me. To see for myself whether my children is safe at school, I went to my children’s school Tenby International School to check it out.

I was pleased to note several guards at the entrance nodding when recognising me and the sticker on my car’s windshield. It wasn’t too long ago, about a month, I remember one day when arriving at the school without the sticker. I was stopped by the guard on duty at the entrance, and I quickly explained and showed him my identity tag, which granted me permission to proceed, although he requested me to obtain a new sticker before going off again. I did go straight to the office to get a new sticker for my car, which earned me the thumbs up when leaving the school campus that day.

When walking around the campus, I noticed the guards all the way around the campus, one standing in each corner and in strategic places like outside the canteen area, a pick up point for parents as well as in front of the sports complex. All the guards have walkie talkies to be able to communicate with each other and upon checking with the school, I was informed that the guard house also has a phone line, so they can call the office if necessary.

Observing all the guards around the school campus, I felt assured that the school provides sufficient security to keep my children safe at school.

I was also informed by the school that if there are workers on the premises, they will be registered with the school and given an identity tag, so they can be clearly identified and recognised by the school population, and is moreover monitored by the school, while working on the campus.

However while the school is doing their best to safe guard our children by employing enough guards and placing them all around the campus, I noticed that most parents don’t wear the identity tags provided by the school. I think this may be a cause for concern as it must be rather difficult for the guards to recognise all parents and identify people who are not supposed to be there, when the parents don’t wear the tags. At least if the parents wore the tags, it would be easier for the guards to pinpoint those without tags and address them about their business at the school. This would increase the level of security even more and keep our children safer.

I therefore urge parents to take a co-responsibility for our children’s safety and keep your identity tags handy when going to school and wear the tags upon leaving your cars to fetch your children in the school and thereby contributing towards keeping the school as secure as possible, while at the same time being a good role model for our children by adhering to the gudelines of the school.