School safety in Singapore has generally never been much of a concern. In fact, to some extent, many parents even take it for granted for our schools don’t have lapses in security. However, the unexplained presence of a strange man lurking around some popular girls’ schools in the Bukit Timah region has been a cause for concern lately.
Recently, parents have been circulating messages on Whats App groups, about a man who was spotted hanging around Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) and Raffles Girls’ School (RGS). All three schools are located within Bukit Timah.
Just two days ago, a mother who dropped her daughters off at SCGS saw a man loitering outside the school premises.
The woman, Mrs Seow, told The New Paper,
“I saw him pacing up and down before he entered the school gate with a phone in his hands at about 0720.”
Over the past week, parents have also been circulating pictures of this mysterious man who is posing a threat to school safety in Singapore. Later that afternoon, parents started circulating even more Whats App messages claiming that a man had been arrested.
The police stated that they received a call for assistance along Blackmore Drive, where MGS is located, at about 11.14am, on the same day that Ms. Seow had spotted the man. A 41-year-old man was then arrested for causing public nuisance.
RGS Principal, Poh Mun See, said, “RGS has been alerted to a suspicious man loitering outside various girls’ schools. Our staff and students have been advised to report to us should they see him near RGS.”
She added that the school takes the security and safety of staff and students seriously. Any incident that compromises their well-being is immediately looked into by senior management and appropriate actions will be taken.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Any suspicious activity that compromises school safety in Singapore should immediately be reported.
This isn’t the first case of threat to school safety in Singapore. Last year, a man was arrested and charged for several offences. His offences included harassing schoolgirls in the Bukit Timah stretch and using his mobile phone to take pictures of them at a bus stop along Stevens Road.
Always be vigilant
While there’s no need for paranoia, it’s always important for us to remind our children to look out for their safety. Here are some things we should constantly remind them about:
- Always stay vigilant
- Report any suspicious activity
- In the event of any suspicious characters lurking around, don’t leave school, seek assistance
- When leaving school late, it’s best to do so with a friend and not alone
- Especially when walking home, always be sure that no one is following
- Never communicate or share personal information with a stranger
We live in a safe country but school safety in Singapore should never be taken for granted. It takes a moment of negligence for a tragedy to occur.
Source: The Straits Times