School security id important

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Classes in both high school and elementary institutions all over the country opened Monday and, despite threats of bad weather and even a typhoon, the day dawned clear and enabled the traditional “first day in school” for the new ones to be quite comfortable.

About 21 students have been forecast by Education officials to troop to schools this year, some to continue their studies, and many just starting their first grade, and for whom Monday was either a day of expectation, or a day of fear, of being separated from their parents and families. But all that will pass away, as all of us had experienced in our own time.

It is gratifying to note also that, all over the country, the start of this schoolyear was reported to be quite orderly and safe, with no untowards incidents reported. Perhaps we have to thank for this our Education officials who tried their best to remove all the hassles of school opening, or, in other words, to de-bug the system first.

Of course there are still the perennial complaints of lack of classrooms and teachers, as well as equipment and facilities, but there are steps being taken to address them. In Bacolod and Negros Occidental, we are fortunate that these are not major problems for us.

We also have to acknowledge the help of our police, who have taken great pains to address the security of our schools and continue to provide members to keep watch on them. We hope this vigilance will continue, because there are so many threats on the safety of children, even college students, in schools. Even big countries like the United States, have had problems in school security that even had fatal results.

Let us therefore ask our local police to continue their watch over our schools and their students and facility. Their presence will surely make going to school the worthwhile and pleasant experience it is supposed to be.*