The time to be prepared for any kind of terrorist attacks had come long ago. What the latest attack on an Army school in Peshawar, Pakistan, by Tehrik-e-Taliban terrorists says is that desperate extremists will use the vilest methods to draw the utmost media attention to themselves and the causes they espouse. The home ministry, therefore, has put out the standard operating procedure (SOP) schools must follow in case of a terrorist attack. The SOP dossier is quite comprehensive. It is not often that Indians like to think of horror scenarios in order to be prepared.
Schools will have to bear a higher financial burden if they are to follow all the recommendations, including 24x7 security, armed guards and communications equipment. They must be prepared to make the sacrifice, although this means they will only pass on the cost to the parents of students. But preparedness is a must just in case terrorists use copycat methods, if only because their limited imagination allows them just a blind following of the methodology of others. What is new, and beyond the basic requirements of school security, is the recommendation to instruct security personnel in ways of quick communication with the police and other authorities in case of an attack.
Schools must follow all the procedures for enhancing the security of young and innocent children who have the least to do with the evils of the day. The ministry cannot be expected to monitor every school and penalise those not following procedure. The lives of our children who are to inherit our world are more precious than ours.
