99% of elementary schools have security
Posted by Matt Dioguardi on January 28th, 2007
Article:
99% of elementary schools have security (Jan 19 2007)
Source:
Japan Times Online
Notes:
1. “Ninety-nine percent of elementary schools nationwide had measures to improve the safety of its students as of last March, up 7.5 percentage points from a year earlier, the education ministry said in a recent survey report.”
Comment: What are these schools doing?
2. “The survey showed that 91.2 percent of elementary schools made maps for their students showing them which roads were safest to take to and from school and where emergency evacuation sites were, up about 30 points, and 83.5 percent gave out alarm buzzers, up 14 points. The percentage of elementary schools with volunteer neighborhood patrols rose to 86.7 percent from 64.2 percent.”
Comment: That’s nice that about 90% have maps, and 83.5% might have buzzers. But the fact is many, if not most, elementary school students walk home without adult protection, often alone. That can’t be safe. Nothing has amazed me more in Japan than the fact that young school children are often left vulnerable to predators. It’s sad that only after repeated tragedies will this situation be improved. Oddly, parents often think protecting the children is the school’s responsibility.