Metal detectors, cameras reap success at St Mary schools
Published:Wednesday | March 30, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Leon Pounall, Gleaner Writer
ORACABESSA, St Mary:
RESPECT, LOYALTY and being my brother's keeper are slowly giving up their seats within some educational institutions and making way for their rivals violence, indiscipline and gangsterism.
However, the Safe Schools Programme, which was implemented in select schools in 2004 to alleviate some of the problems faced in troubled institutions, continues to make positive strides in two St Mary schools.
According to Owen Grant, headmaster of the St Mary Technical High School, there has been a reduction of students taking offensive weapons on campus as the school was furnished with metal detectors subjecting students to random search.
Boosting security
One detector was donated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and two by a past student. The institution has also taken the initiative of employing private security personnel, who work alongside the gateman.
The MOE has since established the post of dean of discipline, where the incumbent is responsible for the general security and discipline of the school.
Meanwhile, Paul Lofters, principal of the Oracabessa High School, said there has been a dramatic decline in violence since the inception of the Safe Schools Programme. The metal detectors, he said, have aided in identifying offensive weapons. He also noted that a perimeter fence has been erected to control the trafficking of students on and off campus, and to keep out intruders from invading the premises.
Safety plan
Ricardo Carr, dean of discipline at Oracabessa High School, has implemented a safety plan for the school. He also amended school rules to address safety concerns. Where the school has fallen short on manpower, closed-circuit cameras are strategically located on the campus. "The mere presence of the camera is a deterrent, hence security is under tight control," he remarked.
In observing school security and safety month, the school has launched a class of the week competition, where students are judged on behaviour, punctuality, and how well they respond to the bell. This, he said, will promote discipline within the classroom and throughout the institution.
As part of instilling discipline, the school recently kicked off its football therapy competition, where sports will be utilised as a therapy to steer the young minds, especially boys, away from violence and other deviant behaviours that have the potential to seep into the institution.