Op-Ed Contributors

How to ensure security on campus

By Wang Chaohua (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-05 08:12

Editor's note: China needs to formulate regulations, educate the people and spell out the responsibilities of every related individual.

In just over a month, five men have attacked schoolchildren in five different provinces, killing eight and injuring at least 55 of them. To prevent such attacks from recurring, the authorities have strengthened security checks in and around schools across the country.

I have lived for 22 years in the United States, where campus shootings are not uncommon. A person who has never seen a campus attack cannot possibly imagine how terrible it is. Though developed countries spend relatively more money to preempt such attacks, none can claim that its campuses are hundred percent safe. That, however, should not deter local governments and communities from trying to reach a consensus on how to ensure campus safety.

In the US, counselors, normally with psychology or psychiatry degrees, help disturbed students solve their problems. And in case of an attack, they help shocked students overcome their trauma.

In China, five men, all of them outsiders, have attacked schoolchildren in five different provinces in less than six weeks. Why? Is there something wrong in our society? No matter how deep-rooted the reasons are, such brutal attacks can only be seen as revenge against society.

The Chinese authorities should detect the loopholes in campus safety. Frankly speaking, I don't think any school or kindergarten alone can prevent such attacks. So, what should we do?

First, all schools need more strict regulations to prevent outsiders from entering campuses or even come near them. Second, children and teachers, and especially parents need to obey the regulations. Third, children and teachers need to be trained to cope with such attacks. The emergency drills should be similar to those for fires and earthquakes.

I think China can learn something from the US experience in this respect. Based on the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990, the US Department of Education helps all schools to formulate security regulations and inform students, parents, teachers and all other related people of the security issues and their respective responsibilities.

The department supplies printed documents, video lessons and online materials to educate the people on how to prevent, respond to and report campus violence. It requires all school employees, including bus drivers and teachers, to obtain security clearance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). And one of its high priorities is to ensure that the act is enforced in all schools.

The regulations formulated and implemented in a school may differ from that of another because security issues call for a lot of money and time. Students have to pass a security channel - similar to passing the security gauntlet at airports - to enter certain schools. At many day-care centers parents or guardians need to sign in while dropping their children there. Similarly, they have to sign out when they pick up their children. This process avoids disputes over responsibilities in case a security threat arises.