Approaches differ in classrooms around the world

Here is a look at school security measures at some countries around the world.

ISRAEL: Education Ministry spokesman Amos Shavit said “the vast majority of schools have armed security guards” and those that don’t are supposed to have heavy locks and security systems.

Visitors to the school are questioned by the guard, who checks their bags and sometimes uses a handheld metal detector. Entry is strictly forbidden to anyone without authorization, Shavit said.

That’s augmented by municipal security units that work in conjunction with police. “If there is an incident at a school, they will be there in a minute or less,” Shavit said.

He said the small number of teachers who have a legal gun license and usually carry a weapon can do so as well in school, but that this is not policy or encouraged.

RUSSIA: Violent incidents have been rare in Russian schools, but two attacks last month attracted nationwide attention and drew comparisons to the school violence in the U.S.

In one attack, a teenager armed with an ax attacked fellow students at a school in southern Siberia, wounding five children and a teacher. In the other attack, in the Urals city of Perm, two teenagers stabbed children and their teacher with knives, wounding 15 people. They then attempted to kill each other, but they were detained.

The incidents highlighted lax security in schools, triggering calls for stronger protection.

Now, there are security guards at Russian schools.

FRANCE: In the wake of deadly terror attacks in Paris and Nice, France introduced new security guidelines at schools when children went back to classes in September 2016.

The measures, which remain in place, include a tighter screening of people entering schools, which can include bag checks, and improved coordination with police.

Police officers patrol in school areas, while parents and students are requested to avoid gathering near schools and report any suspicious behavior or object. French schools also hold three security drills a year, including one in which an alleged assailant enters their premises. Students are taught how to hide or to escape.

All students ages 13 and 14, as well as class representatives, also get basic training on life-saving measures.

JAPAN: Attacks on schools are rare in Japan, where there have been a handful of knifings, but guns are practically nonexistent. Security measures at Japanese schools became compulsory only after a June 2001 attack at an Osaka elementary school, where eight children were stabbed to death and 15 others were injured by an intruder who was later sentenced to death and executed.

Japanese schools generally do not allow outsiders to freely walk into schools without getting permission at the gate, which is usually closed during school hours. Parents or other visitors must wear a pass to go in. Schools are also required to have an emergency manual in case of crime or accident at school or while children are walking to or from school.

Some schools have set up security cameras, or teachers sometimes take turns patrolling during breaks or lunchtime.

Parents or neighborhood volunteers usually stand along designated commuting routes or intersections to watch kids as they walk to and from school.

ITALY: Rome has been spared any terrorism-related attacks, but international schools in Italy’s capital have been deemed “soft targets” for several years and receive extra security.

Several have army jeeps with machine-gun-toting soldiers standing guard. The measures are similar for embassies as well as popular outdoor gathering spots, such as the Campo dei Fiori market in Rome’s historic center.

The increased security is more a response to Islamic terrorism fears than mentally unstable people getting hold of weapons.

There have been no visible signs of increased security at public schools.