Schools need proper security to look after students’ wellbeing

LAST Friday (Feb 10) some children of the Waigani Primary School did not attend class.
These children were mainly from the lower grades and their reason was that the previous day there was an incident at the school where a man was seen trying to kidnap a girl.
The guy was not caught but the story was that he managed to walk into the school but was unsuccessful in his attempt so he walked out and was immediately picked up by a 10-seater station wagon in front of the school and the vehicle drove off.
This happened a few weeks after a child was kidnapped from the neighbouring Boreboa Primary School.
This story of the Waigani Primary School incident was related to by the children themselves that afternoon.
Whether the incident happened or what actually happened is only be known to the children and their teachers and mothers who were there at the time to sell food to them.
What is frightening and of great concern for parents is the trend in similar incidents happening in the National Capital District where stories of kidnapping and missing children seem to become regular occurrences.
Are the authorities aware of this trend?
Is there anything done to investigate these alleged kidnapping?
What happens to those missing persons and who is behind the kidnapping?
Are these children secretly being transport to other parts of the country or overseas?
Are there international criminal syndicates already in the country using local criminals to engage in kidnapping children to be used in child labour or enslaved and exploited?
There have been stories of
illegal trade in body parts in other countries and is there a possibility of similar happenings here with the involvement of criminal gangs?
These are some questions that one needs to ask.
For all parents this trend must be a concern, therefore something must be done to catch those who go around picking up children in front of schools and on the streets before it becomes a major problem that will be more difficult for our law enforcer to solve.
There could be a growing list of missing persons already at the police stations in the city.
If one thinks of it, our children are no longer safe, even in and around their own school grounds.
All school authorities must make it their business to employ security personnel to keep an eye on what happens in and around their school premises.

Concerned Parent
Waigani