Students ‘terrified’

Police attend lockdown

A GOLD Coast school’s students spent a terrifying hour under their desks in lockdown due to an incident involving a fellow student that prompted a police call-out.

One frantic parent rushed to Benowa State High School, beating police to the scene after a 10.50am text from his son hiding in a classroom: “A lockdown is a lockdown. It’s an emergency situation.

“My kid told me they were under the desk and terrified. Everyone was terrified.”

The parent added he wandered the grounds and saw the student believed to have sparked the lockdown, with police arriving after.

“I said to the teacher ‘Where are the police? The teacher couldn’t answer.

“The police turned up and the kid started running across the oval and ran into the arms, of what I think was, a loved one. Police rocked up afterwards. It’s very frustrating for a parent who had a kid under the desk for almost an hour. You wouldn’t want it to be anything more sinister.”

Students said yesterday they hunkered under desks when the school lockdown siren sounded. They did not emerge from lockdown for an hour and speculation spread about a student running amok.

The lockdown was lifted just before noon after advice from police at the scene.

A Department of Education spokesman confirmed the lockdown was sparked by a student at the school.

“Benowa State High School went into a precautionary lockdown today at 10.45am in response to a student behaviour incident.

“The Queensland Police Service was contacted and attended the school. Based on QPS advice the lockdown lifted at 11.51am. Parents and carers have been informed through the school’s Facebook and a text was sent to parents both during and after the lockdown was lifted. For student privacy reasons, no further details can be provided.”