THE EDUCATION Ministry has decided to go ahead with patrols by private security firms in high-risk schools at night as the preferred measure to counteract a spate of vandalism.
According to Minister Andreas Demetriou, the scheme was tested in several problematic schools in Limassol and Larnaca last year and will be introduced to five high-risk schools in Nicosia this year.
The vandalisation of Aglandjia’s 5th Primary School on Tuesday night was the latest in a string of such attacks. Most such attacks, according to Demetriou, are undertaken by the students themselves.
“We know that the majority of attacks on schools are made by students of those schools. In the cases where arrests were actually made, such as at the Lykeio of Acropolis last year, it was a team of students from that school who were arrested,” he said.
Despite the increase of vandalism in schools there is no desire amongst the political and scholastic authorities to turn Cyprus’s public schools into US-style ‘secure educational facilities’.
“Neither does something like that suit us, nor do we want it as a society,” said Demetriou. The problem is nevertheless deemed to be a serious one at the moment in Cyprus with the cost of vandalism, burglary and arson to Cyprus schools estimated, according to information given to the Minister, as being in the region of €3million over the 5-year period 2004-2008.
The figure comes from a set of statistics on damages to schools released by an official functionary within the Ministry of Education and presented to Parliament in December 2009 in fulfilment of an enquiry by Nikos Tornaritis, President of the Parliamentary Committee on Education. The same figures were then published yesterday in ‘Politis’ newspaper.
“This is completely wrong and inaccurate information from the Ministry,” said the Director of Episkopi middle school, Dimitris Moimis, whose school was mentioned in the statistics as having suffered the largest damages from vandalism at a total cost of €621,820. “We are one of the best schools in the Limassol region, there is no graffiti anywhere. The school is clean and in good condition. We do not have a problem with vandalism. This surprises us completely!” he said.
Moimis speculated that over the last year or so there have been extension works carried out on the school athletic grounds and buildings, including three new science labs, whose cost, if totalled, could well add up to the sum in question.
However, “Even if half the school burnt down from ‘vandalism’ it would not equate to the sum they are mentioning in Politis,” he said.
In the 2009 budget, provisions have been made for schools to safeguard their own security to the tune of €100,000 for primary schools, €250,000 for secondary schools and €17,000 for technical schools and vocational training establishments.
Other measures earlier suggested to improve security at schools and safeguard them from vandalism include the installation of alarm systems, searchlights and lighting at night, high fencing and metal grilles on windows accompanied by security locks on doors.
