Schools are becoming unsafe for students as many urgent and important matters are being ignored by teachers and principals or swept under the carpet so as not to affect the image and reputation of schools.

This ‘ostrich’ policy has led to a never-ending cascade of problems victimizing the students who should feel safe and secure in the school environment.

There should be severe penalties imposed on school principals and teachers who try to cover-up problems.

The Parent-Teachers Associations need to be more pro-active to ensure the safety of the school children especially those in primary schools.

Funds for repairs and defects should be released quickly for the schools.

With hundreds if not more than a thousand students in school there is a important duty on the part of the school authorities to ensure the safety of the students.

The police must also visit’ problem’ schools regularly to pre-empt errant behavior among secondary school students. 

Of late there has been a series of problems that have shocked parents and the public alike: The murder of a Form 4 girl by her schoolmate in Bandar Utama, the rape of a female student by her classmates in Melaka and the still unresolved case of Zara Qairina.

Cases of bullying and blackmailing are numerous and it shows the prevalence of groupism and gangsterism.

There have also been numerous cases of students killed or injured due to accidents such as falling trees and branches, playing in open fields during a thunderstorm and being exposed to lightning, tripping into a uncovered septic tank or deep drain and accidents in school fields when goalposts have fallen on students killing them.

There have also been many instances of school children being knocked down by vehicles when attempting to cross roads opposite their schools.

In short schools have become a danger and parents are becoming anxious as to what risks their children are facing in school.

All these cases and many more show that schools need to prioritize safety. 

It is high time the Education Ministry appoints a safety officer in every school .

The officer should be tasked with a wide range of duties concerning safety and discipline.

The officer should ensure that the physical conditions in classrooms and schools, structural defects, and the nearby areas such as fields, fences, sports facilities, classroom furniture, roads, washrooms, canteens, electricity connections, gates, drains, trees, streetlights around schools, supervising the security guards, and various other issues concerning safety.

Apart from that he could also check or keep an eye for instances of bullying, threatening, assaulting, bringing dangerous weapons, racial slurs, indecent language and other unhealthy activities that can affect students.

The safety officer must check any matter concerning safety of the students. He should have a straight telephone or email connection to the district education department.

The safety officer’s assuring presence in school will build up confidence in students, teachers, parents and other education authorities.

Many of the recurring problems and even the recently reported criminal activities could have been prevented if there was a strict and disciplinarian-type of safety officer.

His foremost duty and priority should be to ensure the safety and well-being of the students who will be much assured and reassured when they feel that someone is watching them closely to ensure their safety in school.

He will have to report and liaise with the local authorities and other government departments concerning safety issues and measures

The Education Ministry gets very large budgetary allocations every year, and it is time a safety officer is appointed in every school.

(V. Thomas has been regularly contributing to Malaysian newspapers for the last 40 years.)