Last week, we mooted a prescription for keeping our schools safe and secure, we received phonecalls and likes on Facebook, tweets on Twitter. You responded overwhelmingly and this is your voice that we share here with our other readers
Savio Correia
Nice prescription, but who buys the medicines?
An excellent prescription, but I have a few observations.(1) Who is going to foot the bill? Take Regina Mundi School for example. Its 10acre campus has a 950 meter long boundary.Imagine the cost of a (3 metre high?)concrete wall with concertina wires with CCTV's etc. Then 24x7 security withnine-twelve guards, etc. The school - run by a charitable institution - isaided by Government and is permitted to collect additional fees only forspecific purposes. (2) If your "guide" is implemented, aren't wecreating a jail-like atmosphere in school for our children. Imagine highconcrete walls with concertina wires, nine security personell patrolling withwalkie-talkies in hand, alarms going off now and then, constant watch byCCTV's. (3) You may turn schools into fortresses, but is it the only placewhere our children are vulnerable? What about public parks and playgrounds, thestreets and pathways leading to schools, school buses?
Libia Carvalho-Desousa
ID cards, registers: yes. Uniform for the staff: No
Not only all support staff but everyone working in schoolshould have police checks, identity cards issued to all the visitors coming toschool and they need to sign in at the reception their name, time of visit,which class or teacher they are visiting ,sign out time and reason for theirvisit , access to telephone in each class so that the teachers can be contactedor messages can be passed on by the receptionist to the teachers . Don't agreewith staff members wearing an uniform .I definitely agree with identity badgeson them at all times when working in school and certainly would like to seestaff members present on the playground during break time for the safety ofkids in their care and some members of the staff to have first aid training aswell.
Rene Barreto
Why just schools?
We need more than JUST protection of children at school. Arechildren ONLY abused in schools? It’s time for us Goans to get real and findsolutions that address problems all over Goa. The ONLY solution as I can seeand NOT many will support is GOAN NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH. We need to keep an eyeon happenings everywhere children are at children homes too : Any takers ???Lets wait to see more write ups!!
Peter Andrade
Model school: Candelaria ar Baina
You should see the Candelaria school at Baina : CCTV wasinstalled a few years back. The Head Mistress can see 3 gates directly. You have to pass by the office to enter theschool. There are three large gates & one small gate within view of HM. Allvisitors to the head mistresses are questioned. Now gates are locked with thebus driver holding the keys when classes are held.
