School security steps reinforced

LAHORE:

The Punjab School Education Department has sought details of security arrangements at government and private schools in all districts of the province.

The department reportedly instructed the chief executive offices (CEOs) of all district education authorities to strictly monitor the implementation of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set for the schools' security.

Consequently, the Lahore District Education Authority has instructed all government and private schools to follow the SOPs and warned of action in case of any violation.

Amid concerns about the security situation, the school education department had advised all schools to strictly follow the security SOPs and the district education authorities' CEOs to remain vigilant in this regard.

The CEOs were asked in a letter to pay special attention to the security of the schools categorised earlier as requiring the most stringent arrangements.

According to officials, the Punjab government and security institutions had distributed the schools in the A Plus, A and B categories with respect to the requirements.

The elite private schools, universities, missionary institutions and those in the posh areas of major cities were placed in the A Plus category.

The provincial government had approved the school security SOPs in 2014 but majority of the private institutions had ignored them.

The school education department had developed security plans several times for the schools.

Under the SOPs set to be enforced, closed circuit television cameras have to be installed at the schools, boundary walls raised to eight feet, zigzag ways designed at entry points, concrete barriers installed at the gates and armed guards deployed.

"However, the government failed to fully implement the SOPs despite improvement of security measures in the A Plus schools," a senior official of the school education department said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

"We monitored around 1,000 schools each of the top two categories in March with respect to the effectiveness of the security arrangements. We have now advised foolproof security arrangements at all private and government schools and will strictly monitor them," he added.

The official said the instructions had been sent to all districts and it had also been decided that the department would prepare monthly reports about the security plans, improvements and lapses.

Sources in the department said around 6,000 posts of watchman in schools were vacant in the province and there was no concept of armed security guards. They said the expensive private schools had the resources to meet the SOPs.

Meanwhile, following the instructions, the Lahore District Education Authority has instructed the private and government schools to follow the SOPs, especially repair the CCTV cameras and purchase metal detectors.

The school administrators were asked to keep the CCTV footage saved in their record for a month, disallow the entry of outsiders, prepare the data of canteen employees and visitors.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2023.