Less than a third of schools in the capital are set to comply with new regulations put forward by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau on Tuesday calling for them to have at least two security guards on patrol from Sept 1.
According to statistics from the bureau, only 1,284 out of the 4,470 kindergarten, elementary and middle schools in Beijing have hired professional security guards to protect students and staff.
Many schools - both public institutions and those for the children of migrant workers - have been reluctant to hire security guards because of the cost, said an official from the bureau who asked not to be named.
Cao Zhan, president of the Qingyuan school for migrant children in Changping district, said he wanted to hire guards but was put off by their relatively high salary.
He said he talked to security companies and learned that it would cost him 2,000 yuan a month to hire a guard. He said that was 500 yuan more than the salary of his best teacher who has been at the school for more than 10 years.
"I would rather increase the teacher's salary than hire a guard," he said.
Meanwhile, security companies have not been proactive in providing guards to schools, according to a news release from the public security bureau.
The reluctance from the companies to offer guards to schools may be down to the high standards required.
A man named Zhao who is manager of the Zhen Yuan security company, said the bureau makes regular checks to ensure their quality and companies that do not meet the requirements face heavy fines. "It's too much trouble, so we got out of the campus business," Zhao said.
The country's first-ever regulations governing the security of elementary and middle schools stipulates that every kindergarten, elementary and middle school in Beijing must have at least two security guards equipped with protective devices.
They are required to patrol around schools for one hour before and after school time supported by police equipment including a helmet, stab-proof vest, a pair of cut-proof gloves and a rubber baton.
The regulation also says visitors must show their identity cards before entering a school. Security guards have the authority to refuse admittance if they look suspicious.
Nevertheless, teachers have expressed concerns about the quality of security guards.
Some have complained that most are only aged around 16 or 17 and are not well-educated or trained in the skills they need for their job.
Many guards are transient and the high turnover means schools have to constantly recruit and train new guards, complained one teacher who refused to give his name.
"It could be a big headache for schools to constantly look for security guards," he told Beijing News.
CHINA DAILY --By Wang Wei,2010-08-26 09:35