Education Minister Ahmad Mohamed Al-Issa

A separate department to provide enhanced security to the Kingdom’s schools will be set up in all educational regions, Education Minister Ahmad Mohamed Al-Issa announced on Wednesday.

Under the new directive, such departments will be established in all education regions in the Kingdom to provide maximum security to persons and properties in the schools. School security guards will work under the guidelines of the new department.

Majid Al-Harbi, general supervisor of security and safety at the Ministry of Education, said the aim of this decision is to ensure security to school buildings and prevent security risks from outside and inside the schools.

“The school security department will be tasked with preparing operational plans for security measures and chalking out emergency plans to circumvent any security threats from inside or outside school premises,” he said.

School security guards will be given proper training to identify risk areas and help them learn how to deal with students, parents and visitors to schools. The guards will be trained in security management and taught advanced systems in the relevant field. Under the new program, each school will have a crisis team to handle emergency situations.

The school management is expected to conduct awareness programs among students, teachers and parents about security measures that should be taken in and outside schools.

As a stepped-up security measure, the Ministry of Education has instructed all schools to keep exit doors of schools open while school is in session.

Security guards are expected to be at the gate to provide maximum security for the schools.