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School lock down yesterday
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 132657" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>We get fire drills here. But no lockdown just for a non-custodial parent turning up. </p><p></p><p>I remember the security they had at easy child's first elementary school - the only way in to classrooms (during class times) was through the school office, so nobody could arrive or try to remove a child without going through the official area. During recess and lunch, and after school, the gates were the route, but these were staffed by teachers supervising who arrived and left. This was necessary because the school was paranoid about pedophiles. It was an inner city school at a time when Sydney had a pedophile ring in the area, they knew about it but were still gathering evidence. Known pedophiles' photos were circulated to us and the kids were supposed to be given a course in how to be safe, how to know when someone touching you was doing the wrong thing. Inexplicably, a few parents were very vocal against this, said our kids were too young (the oldest was 8).</p><p>And ironically it was at this school where easy child was molested - by a 7 year old boy, when she was 5. And when I finally found out and looked back - yes, it was that boy's father who was most vocal about blocking those protection classes.</p><p></p><p>You can't prevent everything. That school was moved to a new address (where that police chase took place) and after that scare, they fenced off the grounds and would lock the gates OUTSIDE school hours. When there were security concerns they would lock the main gate, leaving the entrance through the school office open. They have high brick walls with large gates, like something from Lord of the Rings.</p><p></p><p>What caused security concerns? The smell of a community riot (rough neighbourhood; ghetto); problem parents; concerned parents; a general community heightened alert. The big reason for the locked gates - to stop abuse of the school premises by local criminals, as somewhere to vandalise, or somewhere to push drugs.</p><p></p><p>I remember difficult child 1 at this school having to leave at lunchtime to go see his father at work, to get his next dose of medications. He was 10 and having to walk through Sydney streets in a not-too-safe part of town. The principal sent her son with him - both boys were the same age. They never had any problems, but I wasn't happy about the need for this.</p><p></p><p>Our local school here - no lockdown. Not even possible - the place is wide open. The fence is low and missing in places. Individual classrooms, free-standing, are dotted around the grounds. There is a fair bit of wildlife, especially at night, on school grounds. The community garden is also on school grounds but has had to be completely fenced off and roofed in to keep it safe from four-legged and winged vandals. Drug deals happen (mostly outside school hours) and I've been told that the local major drug dealer lives opposite the school. They have fire drills, but these mostly consist of, "go outside and stand in the playground." easy child was a student there when the school was evacuated due to the threat of fire - a lot of the kids ended up standing in the vacant allotment over the road from our house, watching the fire brigade at work putting out the fire.</p><p></p><p>I remember reading about the "duck, and cover" drills. We didn't get any of those, but we do have a nuclear reactor in Sydney. It's tiny, a research reactor, but if anything goes wrong with it it won't blow up but it could release a cloud of gas. We will have no protection from this. We just have to take comfort in the knowledge that this is highly unlikely. The local school has been told that in the event of a nuclear accident, they are to take refuge in the school hall. The school hall is actually open to the elements - it gets darn cold in there over winter because the winds blow right through - no glass in the windows, just security mesh. Useful in summer, though.</p><p></p><p>It's interesting how different we are, on opposite sides of the world.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 132657, member: 1991"] We get fire drills here. But no lockdown just for a non-custodial parent turning up. I remember the security they had at easy child's first elementary school - the only way in to classrooms (during class times) was through the school office, so nobody could arrive or try to remove a child without going through the official area. During recess and lunch, and after school, the gates were the route, but these were staffed by teachers supervising who arrived and left. This was necessary because the school was paranoid about pedophiles. It was an inner city school at a time when Sydney had a pedophile ring in the area, they knew about it but were still gathering evidence. Known pedophiles' photos were circulated to us and the kids were supposed to be given a course in how to be safe, how to know when someone touching you was doing the wrong thing. Inexplicably, a few parents were very vocal against this, said our kids were too young (the oldest was 8). And ironically it was at this school where easy child was molested - by a 7 year old boy, when she was 5. And when I finally found out and looked back - yes, it was that boy's father who was most vocal about blocking those protection classes. You can't prevent everything. That school was moved to a new address (where that police chase took place) and after that scare, they fenced off the grounds and would lock the gates OUTSIDE school hours. When there were security concerns they would lock the main gate, leaving the entrance through the school office open. They have high brick walls with large gates, like something from Lord of the Rings. What caused security concerns? The smell of a community riot (rough neighbourhood; ghetto); problem parents; concerned parents; a general community heightened alert. The big reason for the locked gates - to stop abuse of the school premises by local criminals, as somewhere to vandalise, or somewhere to push drugs. I remember difficult child 1 at this school having to leave at lunchtime to go see his father at work, to get his next dose of medications. He was 10 and having to walk through Sydney streets in a not-too-safe part of town. The principal sent her son with him - both boys were the same age. They never had any problems, but I wasn't happy about the need for this. Our local school here - no lockdown. Not even possible - the place is wide open. The fence is low and missing in places. Individual classrooms, free-standing, are dotted around the grounds. There is a fair bit of wildlife, especially at night, on school grounds. The community garden is also on school grounds but has had to be completely fenced off and roofed in to keep it safe from four-legged and winged vandals. Drug deals happen (mostly outside school hours) and I've been told that the local major drug dealer lives opposite the school. They have fire drills, but these mostly consist of, "go outside and stand in the playground." easy child was a student there when the school was evacuated due to the threat of fire - a lot of the kids ended up standing in the vacant allotment over the road from our house, watching the fire brigade at work putting out the fire. I remember reading about the "duck, and cover" drills. We didn't get any of those, but we do have a nuclear reactor in Sydney. It's tiny, a research reactor, but if anything goes wrong with it it won't blow up but it could release a cloud of gas. We will have no protection from this. We just have to take comfort in the knowledge that this is highly unlikely. The local school has been told that in the event of a nuclear accident, they are to take refuge in the school hall. The school hall is actually open to the elements - it gets darn cold in there over winter because the winds blow right through - no glass in the windows, just security mesh. Useful in summer, though. It's interesting how different we are, on opposite sides of the world. Marg [/QUOTE]
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