Q.C. gov’t asked to install security cameras in public schools

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The city council has asked the Quezon City government to install closed-circuit television systems in all of the city’s 147 public elementary and secondary schools to discourage vandalism and to ensure their students’ safety.

In Monday’s regular session, the Quezon City Council passed on third and final reading a resolution recommending the installation of CCTV cameras in all city schools.

The measure is meant to deter thieves from taking advantage of insufficient security in the public primary and secondary schools and to ensure that outsiders are not able to enter the campuses and mingle with students, often leading to violent incidents.

It was observed that not all public schools employ security guards or ground keepers and that most of their campuses are surrounded by walls that can be scaled easily.

The installation of CCTV systems, the council said, can compensate for the lack or absence of security personnel and ensure public school students are protected.

According to figures from the Quezon City government website, 264,535 pupils are currently enrolled in the city’s 99 public elementary schools and there are 151,569 students in the 48 public high schools of the locality.