Expert highlights importance of security awareness in schools

Security awareness is crucial for recognising, preventing, and responding to potential threats in schools, according to Comrade Abdullahi Yalwa, a lecturer in the Department of Crime Management at Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum on school safety, Yalwa emphasised that security awareness creates a culture of vigilance, responsibility, and care, making the entire school environment safer and more conducive to learning.

Yalwa identified key pillars of school security awareness, including physical security, cybersecurity, psychological and social awareness, emergency preparedness, and community and parental awareness.

He stressed that parents and community members play a vital role in reinforcing safety rules, noticing early signs of danger, and supporting emergency preparedness.

The expert also discussed the fundamentals of early warning systems in school protection, highlighting the importance of threat identification, risk assessment, warning dissemination, and response planning.

He noted that early warning systems can come from various sources, including intelligence agencies, law enforcement, media, and public reporting.

Yalwa recommended that the government revisit the issue of outsourcing security in federal tertiary institutions and consider introducing a course on security and safety as an integral part of the learning process.

He also suggested incorporating security impact assessments as a condition for establishing schools and providing critical infrastructure for safe and secure educational institutions.