School Security Conference >>
Singapore American School Hosts First Regional School Security Conference By William Scarborough, SAS Chief Financial Officer
Earthquakes, terrorists, cyber crime, civil unrest, viruses, bullying, typhoons, riots: the list of threats facing international schools seems endless and alarming. But as with most potential problems, being prepared, learning from experts, and sharing knowledge can go a long way toward managing both the risks themselves and the fears they provoke. For two days in September, participants in the inaugural conference of the Asian Schools Institute for Safety and Security (ASISS) did just that as they discussed how best to respond to threats that could affect international school students, staff, and communities. Organized by facilities staff at Singapore American School (SAS), the ASISS conference allowed eighty participants from schools in Singapore, Asia, and the Middle East to share best practices so that future challenges may be faced with confidence. ASISS was launched last year when SAS proposed a regional safety and security institute to encourage more routine and effective collaboration on these issues. Held on the SAS campus and at a downtown hotel, the conference brought together security directors, facilities managers, and administrators from forty-five schools and fifteen countries. The symposium featured presentations on a range of threats and threat mitigation approaches. U.S. embassy personnel spoke about armed intruder response plans and managing the Zika virus, while Singaporean experts addressed online terrorism and the rise of violent extremism. A speaker from Interpol discussed cyber threats, and private-sector specialists spoke about securing travel programs and collecting intelligence to prevent attacks. An SAS parent who works in this field addressed parent expectations for school security measures, and another spoke about integrating risk management and emergency planning. Small-group topics included a campus security tour, planning effective tabletop exercises, fire risk assessment techniques, and school transportation security measures.
12 EARCOS Triannual Journal
The SAS facilities team organized the conference. During question and answer sessions, presenters clarified points and participants shared relevant experiences. Tea and lunch breaks, as well as a dinner at SAS, encouraged networking among attendees. Participants shared resources, technical knowledge, and their own schools’ policies and procedures. A post-event survey showed that respondents felt the conference achieved its short-term goals of exploring regional security risks and examining developments in school safety planning. Survey respondents also felt positive about the longer-term ASISS goal of creating a forum for school security professionals to support each other going forward. All participants in the ASISS conference have the same goal: keeping their schools safe and secure so that students may focus on learning. The conference was a rare opportunity to learn from experts and from each other. Following its success, ASISS, with the help of strategic industry partners, plans to produce regular webinars and a white paper about school security. In our time and region, collaboration about these matters is a crucial step toward keeping schools safe, and we look forward to more such events in the future.
