Stranger danger in schools

[OzzieMozzie]

Is it normal for parents/visitors to be able to just wonder around schools? I'm fairly sure I've never seen this in the UK... Is it just an Aussie thing?

Our school is pretty lax (British International school in Asia)
Parents and staff have passes, and visitors need to leave id with the security gate to get a visitors pass but after that they are pretty much free to go where they like.

I don't like it.

One of our staff members had a row with a particularly pushy parent who was just hanging around the Y3/4 corridor. She politely asked if she could help, mum said no I'm just looking around, staff said, well, you need to go back downstairs, there is no real need for you to be here, staff got a mouthful and a complaint made against her.

I know becuase the mum was complaining to me as a governor. I was completely in the staff's camp, but had to smile and nod.

Our school is difficult to police though, once through one of the four gates, it's very open plan. Parents do need access to say, school office, uniform shop, bus office etc, but not classrooms unless they are volunteering for reading etc.

Oh, so maybe it's just UK that are hot on this?

Not at our school - Dubai. There are parents around the school (PTA stuff, meetings etc) but have visitor badges having been checked in at the gate and at reception. We have security guards on the gate, and one student has an armed guard sitting outside all day because school have refused to let him in (although he does go on school trips with student).

Is that a British school?

If you mean our school. It's an international school offering the UK national curriculum plus compulsory other stuff including Arabic till year 9.

Yep here in Central Brisbane I can wander in anytime and don't have to report to the office if just dropping off a forgotten book/lunch etc. this is our first child at school so this seems normal to me but I understand from friends in the uk that this is very relaxed! In prep (reception) they ask for children to be accompanied to the classroom for the first 3 terms and met at the end of the day but that is it, after that they're on their own.....it does seem a little too relaxed for children who are only 5 and 6..... (Don't start me on the playground and lack of supervision at playtime ....that does worry me in terms of what could happen/accidents/bullying etc ie a lot more risk than a random walking in)

Also Brisbane.. But north suburbs.. No chance! We have to sign in and out, not permitted onto school campus without signing in and out. The kids practice "lock down" in the event of anything horrendous ever happening.
School playground separated into prep, 1,2, 3,4.,5,6. With play ground staff in each.
Personally I have no problem with parents on the campus! It's anyone who shouldn't be there and they are unlikely to ask! not sure its possible to police really. Certainly our campus is fairly open and accessible. Probably easier to " secure" if it's a more confined campus! But then I don't want my kids in jail. so if object to a big fence!

In the uk all visitors must sign in and be given a badge to wear whilst on the property so it is pretty different!

In Denmark, no such thing as signing in or passes. People come and go as they please. Had a new AuPair start who worked in the US last year and she was amazed at the difference.,

My kids attend a little village school here in Sweden.
No security measures what so ever. Kids as young as 5 go the 'forest' every week and allowed to play. Some have wandered off but the mentality here is extremely naive.
I struggle with the 'nothing bad happens here' attitude. I used to find it quite endearing not it just pisses me off.

It's nice when schools can be so relaxed. In Holland, at my friends children's schools, the primary kids have no fences, run to play in the nearby park at break time, and bike home on their own for lunch. It's great.

Same here in Perth. It feels really odd to me as am usedto uk ssecurity.

Anybody at all can walk into our school. In fact there is a footpath right through it! Our playground is bush and it backs on to a massive bush land. There is no fence. On the other side there is a playground. No gate.

The toilets are accessible to the outdoor world.

When the bell rings the children are released. Nobody checks that they are picked up.

A year and a half ago, there was an attempted abduction of a year six girl from the park. Nothing changed.

We're in Perth, in my son's primary school they are told every day what colour badge visitors are wearing. All visitors get that day's badge at reception and if you have no badge or its the wrong colour you will be challenged.

At our school (Texas) every adult not employed by the school and therefore wearing an id badge has to be escorted around the campus by one that is, except for drop off and pick up, when parents have access to the school gym where all the kids assemble. Works pretty well.....

We are in Oz too - there is no security at all at the school. Very relaxed feel and if I have to drop something off for the dc's I can walk freely into the classroom (as quietly as possible of course!). No signing in or anything. My 6 year old can hop over the fence surrounding the grounds easily - I could step over it. I like it, but this is all I've ever known (kids were too young for school back in the UK). I know it's very different from my nieces school back home...

yes, our kids have 'lock-down' drills too. Have to get under desks away from the window. It seems so at odds with the casual feel of the school. Makes me feel bad (a necessary evil I guess), but they've been told it's just in case a big dog roams into school.