Rajiv Mathur
Partner, MIGS Global Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
The recent murder of a school teacher inside the premises of an educational institution has shocked the entire country. It was not just another criminal incident. It happened in a place that every parent believes is safe, every teacher trusts as a workplace, and every child considers a second home.
While the police investigation is in progress and the courts will decide individual responsibility, this incident raises a much larger question for all of us.
Could this tragedy have been prevented?
As someone who has spent more than three decades working in security, risk management and school safety, I believe the answer is possibly ‘yes.’
This article is not about one school or one individual. It is about the lessons every educational institution in India must learn before another family suffers a similar loss.
School safety has changed
Traditionally, school safety has focused on areas such as fire safety, earthquake preparedness, building security, school transport, child protection, medical emergencies and so on. These emergencies remain important. However, the risks facing schools today have changed.
Schools are no longer isolated campuses. Every day they receive parents, visitors, vendors, contractors, delivery personnel, alumni and members of the public. At the same time, incidents of stalking, harassment, domestic disputes, online abuse and targeted violence are increasing in society.
The unfortunate reality is that these threats do not remain outside the school gate. Sometimes, they enter the campus.
Violence does not begin on the day of the attack
One of the biggest misconceptions about targeted violence is that it happens suddenly. It usually does not. In many cases across the world, violence follows a pattern. It often begins with repeated unwanted contact – then stalking, intimidation, obsession and then planning – and finally, an opportunity presents itself. By the time the attack takes place, several warning signs may already have appeared. Unfortunately, these signs are often ignored because each one is viewed separately.
That is where institutions must change their thinking.
Every personal threat can become an institutional risk
Many organisations still believe that if an employee is facing a personal problem, it should remain outside the workplace. This approach is no longer practical. If a teacher, administrator or staff member is facing persistent harassment or stalking, the school must recognise that the threat can follow that individual to the campus.
The safety of one employee quickly becomes the safety of the entire school. Protecting employees is therefore not only an HR responsibility. It is also a security responsibility.
The need for behavioural threat assessment
Many countries now use a structured process known as Behavioural Threat Assessment (BTA). The purpose of BTA is simple. It helps organisations identify behaviours that indicate an increasing risk of violence and enables timely intervention before an incident occurs. Instead of asking, “Who is dangerous?” – The process asks, “What behaviours indicate increasing risk?”
Schools in India should begin adopting this approach. Every medium and large educational institution should have a Threat Assessment Team consisting of – principal, security head, school counsellor, HR representative, legal advisor, and police liaison officer, wherever possible. Their role is not to punish. Their role is to prevent.
Visitor management needs a complete overhaul
Many schools continue to depend upon manual visitor registers. Unfortunately, writing a name in a register does not make a campus secure. Modern visitor management should include – identity verification, photograph capture, digital visitor registration, confirmation from the concerned employee before entry, escort wherever necessary, time-bound visitor passes, and access restrictions for identified high-risk individuals.
Besides, reception staff should also receive security awareness training. A polite yet vigilant reception is important.
CCTV alone cannot prevent crime
Whenever a serious incident occurs, investigators examine CCTV footage. This often creates the impression that cameras provide security. In reality, CCTV provides evidence. It does not necessarily prevent violence. Real security depends upon – good policies, well-trained people, strong leadership, clear procedures, timely communication, and risk awareness. Technology is an important tool – it is not a complete solution.
Creating safe channels for speaking up
One of the biggest challenges in preventing targeted violence, harassment and unsafe behaviour is that warning signs often remain hidden because people hesitate to report them. Schools need mechanisms that allow students, teachers and staff to raise concerns without fear of embarrassment, retaliation or being ignored.
Traditionally, school safety has focused on areas such as fire safety, earthquake preparedness, building security, school transport, child protection, medical emergencies and so on. These emergencies remain important. However, the risks facing schools today have changed. Schools are no longer isolated campuses. Every day they receive parents, visitors, vendors, contractors, delivery personnel, alumni and members of the public. At the same time, incidents of stalking, harassment, domestic disputes, online abuse and targeted violence are increasing in society
Anonymous reporting platforms can provide an additional layer of safety by enabling confidential reporting of concerns related to bullying, harassment, stalking, threats, mental distress, suspicious behaviour and other risks. Such platforms should not be viewed merely as complaint systems; they should become an important component of a school’s early-warning and safeguarding framework.
However, technology alone cannot create safer schools. The effectiveness of any anonymous reporting mechanism depends on a well-defined response process, trained personnel, confidentiality, timely assessment and appropriate intervention. When combined with behavioural threat assessment and a strong safety culture, anonymous reporting can help schools identify concerns early – before they develop into serious incidents.
Building a culture of acknowledgement & action
A safe school environment begins with a culture where every concern is heard, acknowledged and acted upon.
Many victims of harassment, stalking or intimidation hesitate to report repeated incidents. They may fear embarrassment, social stigma, retaliation, or the possibility that their concerns will not be taken seriously. In some cases, they continue hoping that the situation will resolve on its own.
Schools must move beyond a culture of silence and create an environment where students, teachers and staff feel confident in raising concerns at the earliest stage. No complaint should be dismissed as merely a ‘personal matter’ when it has the potential to impact individual or institutional safety.
Every report, however small it may appear, deserves careful assessment and an appropriate response. Acknowledging concerns, evaluating risks and taking timely action are essential steps in preventing situations from escalating into serious incidents.
Early intervention is not only a safety responsibility; it is a reflection of an institution’s commitment to care, trust and accountability.
An important step in the right direction
India has already begun strengthening school safety through the recently launched National Model School Safety Toolkit, unveiled by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Delhi during the National Summit on Safe Schools Leadership.
The toolkit is an important milestone because it moves beyond compliance and encourages schools to adopt a structured, risk-based approach towards safety.
I had the privilege of leading the development of the Safe School Transport Safety Pillar of this national initiative.
Many organisations still believe that if an employee is facing a personal problem, it should remain outside the workplace. This approach is no longer practical. If a teacher, administrator or staff member is facing persistent harassment or stalking, the school must recognise that the threat can follow that individual to the campus. The safety of one employee quickly becomes the safety of the entire school. Protecting employees is therefore not only an HR responsibility. It is also a security responsibility
Our objective was simple – to ensure that every child remains safe not only inside the school but throughout the journey between home and school. However, recent events clearly demonstrate that school safety must be viewed as a complete ecosystem – transport safety, campus security, visitor management, emergency preparedness, child protection, cyber security, staff safety, mental health support, threat assessment.
Each of these is a pillar supporting the same objective – creating a secure learning environment. The time has now come to strengthen the toolkit further by incorporating comprehensive guidance on behavioural threat assessment, targeted violence prevention, protective security, and workplace violence prevention. These are no longer optional subjects. They are emerging necessities.
A roadmap for every school
Every school should consider implementing the following measures:
- Establish a Threat Assessment Team.
- Create a confidential reporting mechanism for harassment, stalking and threats.
- Upgrade visitor management with digital verification and controlled access.
- Conduct periodic security audits focused on human threats, not only infrastructure.
- Train reception staff and security personnel to recognise suspicious behaviour.
- Develop emergency response procedures for violent incidents.
- Maintain regular coordination with local police and emergency services.
- Review all reported incidents periodically to identify patterns and emerging risks.
None of these measures require extraordinary investment. They require leadership.
Leadership makes the difference
The strongest security system is not built with cameras or access cards. It is built with leadership. Leaders decide whether warning signs are ignored or investigated. Leaders decide whether staff feel safe reporting concerns. Leaders decide whether security is viewed as an expense or an investment. The culture of an institution is always shaped from the top.
Conclusion
Every tragedy leaves behind two stories. One is recorded in police files and court proceedings – the other is written in policies, procedures and institutional reforms. We cannot change the past. But we can certainly improve the future.
The recent incident should become a turning point for school safety in India. If it encourages educational institutions to strengthen their systems, improve governance, invest in behavioural threat assessment and adopt a preventive approach to security, then an important lesson will have been learnt.
The true measure of security is not how efficiently we respond after an incident. It is how effectively we prevent the incident from happening in the first place. As educators, security professionals, policymakers and institutional leaders, we owe that commitment to every teacher, every student and every parent.
Because every teacher who leaves home in the morning deserves to return home safely in the evening.
