Look beyond guards, CCTV cameras to ensure school safety, govt told

The G25 group of prominent retired civil servants today urged the government to look beyond guards, CCTVs and disciplinary procedures to ensure safety at schools.

In a statement, it said such measures, although necessary, did not address the root causes of violence perpetrated by students.

“We must understand the root causes. Our children are growing up in an increasingly pressured environment,” it said.

“Children are also more easily exposed to violence online, through entertainment and social media.”

The group was responding to a series of violent incidents in schools that resulted in the death of students, including Irene Sofiya Khairoul Faisal, a Form 4 student who was killed at a school in Yong Peng, Johor.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim revealed yesterday that a total of 5,681 bullying cases were reported in schools in the first eight months of the year.

He said the government would allocate an additional RM15 million next year for the installation of CCTV cameras at 1,000 schools as part of efforts to boost student safety.

However, G25 expressed concern over what it described as a reactive approach to crises, “with the announcement of another measure and review, only to move on until the next tragedy”.

“That is not good enough when we are dealing with the safety and lives of children,” it said.

It called for an independent, comprehensive review of school safety and student well-being involving stakeholders and experts, rather than separate reviews following individual tragedies, analysed “in silo”.

It said the review should examine physical security, hostel supervision, CCTV coverage, bullying and disciplinary procedures, mental health support, and the effectiveness of existing policies, among others.

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