Warn overprotective parents, tighten security in schools

The report “Father jailed for slapping Primary 3 daughter’s ‘bully’” (July 20) raised my interest in and concern over schools’ security measures, as well as the issue of overprotective parents.

First, the father was reported to have told the security guard that he wanted to see the principal, but took his daughter to her classroom to find her “bully” instead.

The incident could have been avoided with a higher level of security, specifically if the guard had been more professional and responsible, or there had been staff to guide parents wishing to enter the compound.

Perhaps schools could take measures to ensure one security guard is at the gates while another renders assistance to visitors. This would be vital to the safety of the school population, especially also since the terrorist threat is high.

Second, the slapping incident was a case of parental protection gone too far. The father had a right to be enraged but not to be violent towards the alleged bully, who was a young boy.

The father’s actions were detrimental to his own well-being and reputation. More significantly, such vulgar and indecorous actions would have traumatised the boy and may influence him to act in the same way when he grows up.

There have been other cases of parents assaulting their children’s peers. In March 2014, a father slapped a boy, seven, for pinching his son’s cheeks. In July 2015, a mother slapped her son’s classmate, who had accidentally bumped into him.

From a child’s perspective, one’s parents are one’s role models. Parents should not act so vehemently in front of their children. Perhaps schools could make use of seminars or parent-teacher meetings to inform parents about the consequences of such recklessness.

In summary, school security should be tightened and upgraded, and schools should also implement mitigation strategies to calm the nerves of overprotective parents, including one-to-one dialogue sessions.