Warden program being tested in schools
Because most schools cannot afford to hire a security service and teachers cannot be everywhere, the Ministry of Education is testing a program which involves posting a specific person at each Belize City primary school to help monitor the children. As News Five found out, so far the program is working well, but the schools still need the help of parents to ensure children’s safety.
You may have noticed the new school wardens when you dropped your children at school last week. The men and women are part of a school security program initiated on May second in response to the reported incidences of child abuse, student harassment and absenteeism. Oscar Reyes, the program’s coordinator says the idea is to protect the students while they are in school and help parents, principals and teachers know the children will stay on the compound.
Oscar Reyes, Coordinator, Sch. Attendance Management Program.
“Basically the responsibility of the school warden is to ensure that the student does not leave school. Once they enter that school campus, they are there until the end of school. They are also to look around for suspicious characters, unusual activities and people hanging around the school. To look at people who may just arbitrarily walk into the school and may pick up children’s bicycles and properties. It is a tremendous responsibility. It is a general school security and safety.”
A total of twenty-six school wardens were specifically hired to do the job. The wardens, who are posted from eight a.m. to four p.m., had to undergo an intensive one-week orientation in which they learnt about child abuse, drugs and some basic security techniques. Although the program has only been in effect for one week, it has been welcomed by all involved.
Huldah Neal, Principal, St. Luke Methodist
“We feel safer because we know that anybody that is coming probably to attack us or in an angry manner, the school warden is there.”
Carol Flowers, Principal, Ephesus SDA Primary School
“Its advantages is that due to the situation of our school we cannot watch all the kids at the same time so I find the school warden very helpful in that area. What I don’t see, she can see in the front of the yard.”
Carol Babb, Principal, Queen’s Square Anglican
“I think the program is very effective because the school warden can screen everybody that comes into the school yard.”
Once school is in session, the wardens then patrol the grounds to make sure students are in the classroom and no unauthorized people are on the compound. If a student needs to leave school before the scheduled time the warden must be informed.
Dorothy Williams, Warden, St. Luke Methodist School
“Well the student showed me a note from the teacher so that he could get permission to go out. Since I have been monitoring the situation the children listen when I talk to them. I allow them to go right by the cart there to buy and back in, not crossing over the street.”
One of the busiest times for the wardens is when the children are out on their lunch break. The wardens do not only have to make sure the students leave safely, they have to look after those who stay at school.
Anna Mae Bell, Warden, Queen St. Baptist
“Well I normally stay right here with the children. You have some that go home and some that stay behind. I have to watch the ones that are here so they don’t go on the street. I normally stay by the gate and check on the kids.”
But the wardens realize they have to work in partnership with the parents.
Wilder Brown, Warden, St. Mary’s School
“I would like to ask the parents that when the children come in the school yard in the morning to tell them that they are not to come back outside because then they may get into trouble.”
Lawrence Mejia, Warden, Queen’s Square Anglican
“Well I advise the parents to let this thing continue and come together and make a good deal from it. I tell them to get the children here on time.”
The program will run until the end of June. In July the wardens are scheduled to undergo additional training that will focus on public relations and counseling.
Reyes says although the School Security Management Program is scheduled to close in June, it will be evaluated so a more comprehensive program can be established in time for September. Parents can also do their part to assist the wardens by calling the Education Department’s hotline at 36647 to report any suspicious individual or children who are not in school.
