Teachers can take back control of their schools and rely on students to help them.

President of the National Alliance for Safe Schools in Maryland, Peter Blauvelt, drove that message home during day three of a workshop at Sonesta Beach Hotel on managing school security and discipline.

The workshop, sponsored annually by the National Association of School Principals, comes on the heels of the introduction of security guards at Government high schools due to growing concerns about teachers' and students safety.

But school officials and representatives of the teachers' union and National PTA heard that most of the Island's school problems paled in comparison to those of their US counterparts.

Dr. Blauvelt pointed out that schools in the US were no strangers to bomb threats, theft, and vandalism. And he shared stories about the impact on schools and how they -- particularly those in his Prince George's County Public Schools District -- dealt with such incidents.

But he said one of the "single fear-producing events'' which was prevalent and embedded in schools almost worldwide was bullying.

Showing a film on school bullies, the veteran educator said: "Bullying is probably the most serious of issues we face. But it is a process whereby teachers can take back control of their schools.'' Noting the success of a programme -- called Schools Against Fearful Environments or SAFE -- which NASS created to protect students and staff, Dr.

Blauvelt said: "If ever there was an appropriate time to introduce such measures, it is now.'' The SAFE team consisted of one administrator, two teachers from each level of the school, two students, two parents, two non-teaching staff, and one security or Police officer, he explained.

Under the programme, children are allowed to write down their concerns and fears everyday. Teachers write the concerns on the blackboard and the top three are taken to the SAFE team which selects an issue.

The teacher then takes the issue back to students who are asked to come up with solutions.

"When you give kids an opportunity to not only address an issue, but come up with a solution,'' Dr. Blauvelt said, "it is amazing what they can do''.

He later told The Royal Gazette : "If ever there was a time when this information is critical (for Bermuda), it will be in the next three months.'' He noted that during the education reforms which the Island was undergoing, it was natural for parents to be concerned about their children's safety at schools as it was for teachers who may move to new schools.

"I'm here to say that the strength starts from within,'' said the opponent of metal detectors in schools.

"They need to begin some team building in schools and make it clear what the school will stand for. That is going to have to be a group process and involve dialogue.'' Dr. Blauvelt said he hoped orientation will be held in the middle and senior schools before they open in September so that students will be familiar with them.

While stressing that he was impressed with local educators' knowledge and enthusiasm, he warned: "They should not jump into external controls until they understand what they need.

"Some schools may need security guards. But they should find out what they need to do internally first.'' Dr. Blauvelt also stressed that school officials should not "escalate conflict against kids''.

Noting that some of the students were "literally living through hell'' during the 18 hours they were away from school, he said: "We have to be sensitive to the needs of kids and not be too judgmental about parents. It's important that instead of fingerpointing that we accept people where they are.'' Dr. Blauvelt predicted that benefits of SAFE teams, if implemented, would be manifested within a three-week period.

"Perhaps you might have to get kids comfortable with assuming responsibility first,'' he suggested. "That may have to start in elementary school.'' And Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher agreed.

"It is an excellent idea for schools, even elementary schools,'' he said.

"The Ministry will encourage any school interested in implementing SAFE teams and assist them with securing financial support.'' But Dr. Christopher pointed out that the Ministry was relying on principals at the workshop to decide what they would like to have implemented in their schools.

The Ministry was willing to support what principals believed was necessary, he added.

Stressing that the Ministry viewed the workshop as a "proactive measure'', Dr. Christopher said: "It is unfortunate that this other incident (a student attack on a teacher at Warwick Secondary) happened. This event was planned months in advance.'' Meanwhile, Association of School Principals president Livingston Tuzo noted that much of what was covered at the workshop were "common sense suggestions''.

"A lot of them would be very easy to implement,'' he said. "But it requires us to go back and look at our school buildings and decide on what can be done to ensure safety.

"Up until this point we (Bermuda principals) have looked at outside security.

"We will have to sit down and look at some specific areas and find out what it is we should be doing or not. This (workshop) came along at a good time. It has made us stop and think.'' President of the National PTA Anthony Steede said: "As a parent I'm getting to see a lot of the problems the school administration has to go through and by understanding this I can help my administration understand school administration.'' And Bermuda Union of Teachers' representative Anthony Wolffe said: "We've been calling for school security for a long time,'' he pointed out. "The union has asked for a national plan on school security.

"A lot of what Dr. Blauvelt has said, we have said.

"We did an exercise this morning and out of that came the importance of communication. I think it is important that the Ministry communicate with the ASP and BUT on these (school safety) issues and others.'' EDUCATOR FOR SAFETY -- National Alliance for Safe Schools president Peter Blauvelt urges local educators to solve school security problems from within.

EDUCATION ED