Are you a soft or hard target?

In all schools, staff and students need to be able to work and learn in a safe and secure environment. Tragic incidents like the 6th of July 2013 killing of 59 boarding students in Mamudo government secondary school, Yobe state, 25^th February 2014 killing of about 50 students and a teacher at Federal government College Buni Yadi, Yobe State, and the 14^th of April 2014 kidnap of 276 girls from government secondary school in Chibok highlight the need for schools to urgently review their security systems. It's easy for people to say, "It won't happen in our school"; yet, studies and surveys repeatedly show that the human factor (what employees do or don't do) is the biggest threat to security/information systems and assets.

We need to understand the risks we face at our schools and prepare ourselves to defend them.  Preparation begins with understanding, which is where awareness comes in.

The best way to achieve a significant and lasting improvement in security is by raising awareness, training and educating everyone in your school.

APEN just recently concluded a SECURITY AWARENESS/ASSESSMENT event targeted at offering guidance on how to improve security in schools, which included advice on the management of security and, in particular, on the role of proprietors, school governors and heads of schools. The event described how to assess the risks which individual schools face and what measures should be considered to counter those risks. This event couldn’t have come at a better time!

The Chairman of APEN, Dr. Olufemi Ogunsanya, noted the following in her opening remarks: The need to be vigilant and aware, the need to take Security for ourselves as well as those under our care very seriously, schools cannot be ill equipped when it comes to security and, APEN wants to inspire and protect all those under her care.