Stakeholders from the education sector, security agencies among others have called for stronger early-warning systems, coordinated security measures and sustained accountability to prevent attacks on schools.
These stakeholders warned that reactive responses have failed to address persistent threats to pupils, teachers and educational institutions, hence leaving them vulnerable and exposed to even greater threats.
They spoke at the 7th Annual Summit of the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), with the theme: “Schools Under Threat: From Reactive Responses to Sustainable Protection.”
Inspector-General of Police and keynote speaker at the summit, Olatunji Disu said school safety required more than police operations, identifying access-control systems, appropriate surveillance, emergency communication channels and clear procedures for contacting security agencies as possible measures.
Disu, who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatie, noted such technologies must be supported by trained personnel, maintenance and effective coordination.
According to the police chief, the success of the Safe Schools Initiative should be measured by its contribution to safer learning environments and uninterrupted access to education, rather than announcements or expenditure alone.
He warned that unverified reports circulated through social media could cause panic, expose individuals to suspicion and interfere with legitimate security operations.
The IGP stressed the need to protect the identities and personal details of children who are victims or witnesses of traumatic incidents, while cautioning journalists against publishing operational details that could endanger victims, security personnel or ongoing rescue efforts.
He also reminded journalists that an arrest does not amount to a conviction and urged them to avoid declaring suspects guilty before the conclusion of legal proceedings.
Disu called for stronger communication between security agencies and the media, saying timely and credible information could reduce speculation and improve public understanding during security incidents.
On his part, Chairman of Summit, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe urged authorities to establish functional emergency preparedness plans covering evacuation procedures, communication protocols, safe rooms and trained personnel capable of responding to crises.
Ogundipe , who was represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lagos, Professor Joseph Awoyinfa called for a unified national framework to coordinate school safety efforts across federal, state and local governments.
He identified inconsistent policy implementation and weak coordination between security agencies and education authorities as major gaps in protecting schools.
According to him, sustainable school protection must extend beyond perimeter fencing and surveillance to include safe transportation, secure boarding facilities, community-based security arrangements and psychosocial support for survivors of attacks.
He urged governments at all levels to prioritise school safety in their budgets and planning, with particular attention to rural and conflict-prone areas.
Ogundipe also tasked education journalists with tracking government commitments and exposing gaps between announced policies and their implementation.
Earlier, EWAN Chairman, Mojeed Alabi said journalism must move beyond reporting attacks after they occur to investigating school vulnerabilities, scrutinising security spending and monitoring the effectiveness of government interventions.
Alabi cited the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014, the subsequent Dapchi incident and other attacks on educational institutions as evidence of the persistent threat facing schools.
He also highlighted disruptions caused by sit-at-home orders in the South-East and violence in parts of the country, warning that school insecurity continued to threaten education and national development.
He urged journalists to investigate whether vulnerable schools had functional emergency response systems, whether teachers and administrators received safety training and whether communities had reliable channels for reporting threats.
“When funds are allocated, we should investigate whether they are used as intended. When investigations produce recommendations, we should return to determine what has changed,” Alabi said.
He said reporting should also examine the long-term consequences of school attacks, including lost learning time, support for survivors and whether affected pupils returned to school.
Alabi called on newsrooms to strengthen investigative reporting, collaborate with researchers and education experts, and protect children and vulnerable sources when covering security incidents.
The Summit als featured a panel session where speakers stressed that preventing school attacks required sustained cooperation among government, security agencies, education authorities, parents, communities, civil society organisations and the media.
The panel maintained that progress should be measured by whether children could attend school without fear, teachers could work safely and parents could send their children to school with confidence.