Don't know much about history, don't know much biology ... But Auckland's schools are having to learn quite a lot about security. Debrin Foxcroft passes through the chainlink fences, 'safety officers', padlocked gates, student ID cards and visitor passes of today's schools.
At the start of every school day, children walk past a 2m high chainlink fence, past a security guard in a fluorescent vest and through the gate. It's closed and padlocked behind them. Welcome to school.
For fences, security officers and padlocks are becoming a reality in Auckland schools. In recent weeks, playground and classroom safety has become a hot topic for educators and parents.
In August, eight Auckland secondary school students armed themselves with weapons, including a softball bat, went to Lynfield College and beat a 14-year-old student. The offenders were mostly from Mt Roskill Grammar but were led through the school by another Lynfield student.
If this incident - captured in the internet-sourced photographs published by the NZ Herald and reproduced on these pages - was a one-off, one crazy moment in the life of schools in New Zealand, most Kiwis would probably shrug their shoulders. But it's not.
In the same week, another incident involving a softball bat erupted at a Porirua school; in Christchurch, high school girls attacked a Thai homestay student from their school on a bus.
School brawls are frequently recorded and posted online on so-called social websites.
Are our schools secure and our students safe?
LYNLEY TURRELL asks herself this often. "It's very much on my mind,'' says the Papakura mother of two daughters. "I think about how we ensure our children are safe in the environment they are in. It's always a concern.''
Nadia, her older daughter, is at high school. Gemma goes to primary school. Both schools are fully fenced.
"It's important for the schools to ensure parents can't just walk on site and into classrooms,'' says Mrs Turrell. "It's really important for our children to be safe and protected.''
At James Cook High School in Manurewa, security has gone a step further, because, says principal Bryan Smith, the world has changed.
"We have a large park opposite the front gate. We had a problem with people hanging around the park and coming into school as well as a bit of truancy. Taking that in mind, we put a monitor on the gate, a safety officer.''
The school was fully fenced more than 18 years ago.
"People tend to think twice about climbing a fence,'' says Mr Smith.
Parents were happy with the safety officer and most teachers thought it a good idea. So the school hired a second officer.
"One stays on the gate while the other checks the boundary,'' says Mr Smith. "We don't have any problems anymore. They were an investment.'' An investment the school must pay for: the school board has to allocate funds for the officers each year.
Some teachers resisted the idea of security officers. They were worried about what guards meant for the school.
Most fears have been allayed, says Mr Smith.
"Oddly enough, we have had incidents of youngsters putting on our uniform to come into the gates.
"I guess there's high youth unemployment in low-decile areas and they want to come in to see their mates.''
But Mr Smith is saddened by what these security measures say about community involvement with the school. "I guess it is something that has just changed.''
JAMES COOK HIGH sits at one extreme. But other schools are following suit.
New Zealand Security Association president Peter Freeman says more and more are hiring security and installing technology such as closed-circuit television (CCTV).
"Alarms, man guarding and CCTV,'' are most popular. "Schools are very open, very easy
to hide in and they haven't been designed to prevent crime,'' he says.
Each school has different needs. "Internationally, schools have gone towards full fencing. It's a balance between the use of space and needs. Schools tend to tolerate the use of
space by the public. If you put a fence up, you have a defensible space but you change
public use. You alienate yourself from the public.''
Mr Freeman's view is shared by Michael Pepper, an Aucklander with a Ministry of Education contract to review after-hours security in 40 schools. "I am quite sure New
Zealand will follow the UK and US,'' he says.
"Some schools are now saying, 'Once students are in, lock them in. Have one single entry point directing visitors to the reception'.''
Working across the region, he says many schools insist they want to be part of the
community.
"But it's a balance,'' he says. "People are generally very trusting. They are reticent to
challenge people who shouldn't be on site.''
SO SOMETHING has to be put in place. At Campbells Bay Primary on the North Shore, that something is someone - Jackie Fyson, the face at the reception desk.
While the school doesn't have major security worries, it has introduced a pass system. Every visitor must sign in and wear an A5-sized fluorescent yellow pass around their
neck.
"This system has been in place for about three years,'' she says. "I don't think it was triggered by an actual issue - though there were some things happening overseas at the time.''
Signing people in and handing out the large passes is built into the school's procedures.
"It's been positive. Sometimes parents, when they are rushing in, can find it inconvenient, but the response has been mostly supportive. If teachers or staff see someone walking on the grounds without a pass, they will challenge them.''
If people don't have a pass it's pretty obvious, says Mrs Fyson.
As the Secondary Schools Principals Association president, and Papatoetoe High School's principal, Peter Gall agrees, security is becoming a major issue, but there is little guidance from a national level.
"There are no policies or guidelines for schools,'' he says. "Most schools have a site where visitors have to sign in - the reception. Security at the gates is more the exception than the rule at the moment.''
Quite a few schools, particularly secondary schools, have CCTV, he says. But the cameras are more for identifying people involved after an incident.
"Part of the problem with schools is the design of them. They're not easily contained,'' he says. "Security in schools is variable and has all sorts of challenges.
"Internationally, schools are built differently. In some you enter the school straight off the road. New Zealand schools aren't built like that. We have more of a campus.''
For most schools, uniforms help identify outsiders, as do ID cards.
"Our school has been fully fenced for 10 years,'' says Mr Gall. "The decision to fence was triggered directly by security issues as well as vandalism during the holidays and weekends. Fencing the school has helped immensely.''
But the security of Auckland's children is also a financial matter. "Ultimately it comes down to money. I think more schools would hire guards if they could afford it.''
WHICH BRINGS us to the national level. Ministry of Education spokeswoman Jodi Ihaka says security and reporting serious incidents are schools' responsibilities.
"Schools are self-managing and only have to inform the ministry of serious incidents. Under the 'traumatic incident' guidelines, the ministry then offers support to the school.''
Green Bay High principal Morag Hutchinson says a good relationship with local police helps.
"No one wants to see schools function as they do in the US,'' she says. "For us, it's all
about balance and a cost-benefit analysis. We haven't felt that we need to do more
than we are doing at the moment.''
But her school is monitoring the situation and trying to manage being part of the community while keeping students safe. "Too many barriers and you compromise your relationship with the community. Too few barriers and you can compromise the relationship as well."
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