Hamara School, St Inez
This school runs at a government quarters premise from 9 am to 4 pm. Children are provided with breakfast, lunch and an evening snack but no security.
The school caters to communities whose living conditions are poor, with no place to live and no means to education. Though it’s a step towards a noble cause, the security of these children, is thrown to the winds, with hardly two-three female teachers/ care takers to guide these students (boys and girls), who number over 50. The students are between the age group of 5 to 15.
Being situated in a single government quarters of a huge complex, there is free excess to thousands of people. Nevertheless, the girl child is seen loitering all around with no one to keep a check.
A casual round near the school, gives you a clear picture that the atmosphere there is unsecured because number of anti-socials gather near the school and pass lewd comments on the children. There is no one to keep a watch on this.
Rumours were in air that several anti-social acts do take place, with authorities initiating no action.
Red Rosary, Miramar
It is a school that is well known but scattered over more than one building and encompassing roads. Till date it has no campus and facilities are minimal, notwithstanding the good quality of students it gets.
However, though it is quite easy for anybody to access the school due to the open nature of the campus, it would be difficult for a Vasco-type incident to happen unless the person was known to the victim. Incidents can happen, but these will have to be with at least the initial concurrence of the student/victim and is most likely to be a casual meeting gone wrong.
The very nature of an open campus leads to temptations and as such it is difficult to control students when they mill out in the open.
However, this school will be moving to the education hub at Bambolim and then it would be very important that guidelines and security measures be put in place as the very nature of a closed campus could lead to such incidents if the perimeter is breached.
Seventh Day Adventist, Mala
This school has a fort-like structure is secured from all sides. Though there is no compound wall and security personnel to guard the kids and school, the atmosphere there is much secured.
The gates of the school are seen locked during school hours, except for recess and for physical exercise class. Some might look at this as too harsh, but if one thinks about the security of children then it’s a best practice.
Parents have to wait outside school to pick up their kids and those kids whose parents are not seen during that time, are made to sit in class till they come to pick them up.
A parent confidently said “my child is fully secured here. There are instances when I had sent my friend to pick up my son and he was not allowed to take him as my friend was unidentified person for teachers there”.
