to wonder why (school security)

[Sallyingforth]

The local infants/primary school, in a quiet residential area, has for years been surrounded by high steel railings that would feel at home around a prison. I can understand that.
But the school have now lined the railings with a thick mesh that completely obscures any view in or out, allegedly 'to prevent peeping toms looking at children in the playground.'
I've not seen or heard of any suspicious activity near the school.
Is this really necessary, or is someone getting paranoid?

YANBU

It sounds very OTT - anyone from our village can go into the local school as you have to walk through it to ge to the librbay and swimming baths.

I dont know to be honest.The young kids here at the schools do talk to passers by through the railings.Ive seen kids who are clearly expelled sat at the railings talking to them.I dont think its a bad thing,seems an idea for safety.

There are lots of people on MN who fell that their child's image is very proprietary & should never be published or shared without their consent (I think it's a weird way of thinking, but I guess it takes all sorts)

I wonder if this school has some other issues going on, maybe specific children to protect, but they can't necessarily share that.

There may a vulnerable pupil at the the school where safeguarding is a real issue, so the extra fencing might be very necessary. Obviously the school isn't going to broadcast this fact.

One of the primary schools in a city near to me is like this. It's in a busy area which is a favourite hang-out for undesirables and, perhaps more to the point, takes in children from a nearby women's aid refuge.

There's a marked difference between the primary school's security and that of an out of town secondary which was the subject of a very well documented tragedy a few years ago. The secondary school is very much more accessible to the public.

It's probably that the school needs to spend their budget for this year so they don't get it reduced in April

Thanks for the comments. Perhaps the peeping toms thing was a cover story.

I once worked at a school where 3, 6 year old boys dropped their trousers and "mooned" at two pensioners walking past. Perhaps the screen is to protect passers-by from incidents like this!

cant they plant a few bushes?

of course they can plant bushes. the bushes will them be used to try and retrieve balls and other toys that have gone throught the bars of the fence.

Wow. I work in a school which has not got any security. The buildings are spread over a very large area surrounded by a fence hip high. That does seem a little bit over done

At my old school we had problems with drug users throwing needles etc through the fence do put a mesh up to prevent that.

I think there may be a bigger (and more confidential) story here than has been disclosed to OP.