Members of the committee stressed the need for an effective strategy to regulate the entry of policemen into school campuses to address students’ troubles

The entry of police personnel into school campuses should be co-ordinated with the principals and social workers to avoid any negative impression on the students,  the education committee at the Qatar Chamber (QC) recommended yesterday.
The committee hosted Brigadier Nasser bin Jabr al-Nuaimi, Assistant Director of the Capital police, at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to discuss the issue. The committee discussed the psychological impact of the presence of police personnel in uniform on students on the campus. There have been cases when the police had to intervene to settle quarrels among students.
The committee stressed that schools should remain as highly respectable educational institutions  in the sight of students, and at the same time  students should be well-aware of the important role played by the  police in resolving a variety of disputes within the community.
Brigadier al-Nuaimi thanked the committee for addressing the issue, stressing the right of the residents to report complaints and ask for police help.
“Besides, the presence of police personnel give a strong impression of  protection and justice in the society. When the police  have to intervene to resolve issues  inside schools, they take all the necessary procedures and precautions to contain the problem. They try to solve the matter with the students and avoid involving parents, which may have undesirable consequences.”
Regarding the referral of erring students to Juvenile Prosecution, Brigadier al-Nuaimi pointed out that the role of the police in this matter was  limited to transporting and transferring  the student to the prosecution, as it was a legal requirement.
Accordingly, the committee suggested to work out a scheme to organise the entry of police personnel into school campuses and discuss it with the Capital Police, in accordance with the disciplinary  regulations of the Supreme Education Council (SEC). Besides, the committee stressed that the police should give school managements some time to resolve the issue and contain it within the school in a friendly manner before intervening.
The committee also discussed the necessary procedures and regulations applicable for the operation of a facility for the treatment of  people with special needs. The members discussed the difficulties facing such centres, and how to make it mandatory for them to install surveillance cameras that agree with the specifications set by the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Other issues discussed include the image of private schools in the local media  and how to maintain a more active and productive communication with the SEC.