Critical Incident Manual - Ministry of Education

Guidelines for Developing a Critical Incident Management Plan for a Safe School EnvironmentIncident: Hold-upsPotential OutcomesKnife cuts or wounds, loss of property, possible death.Pre-plan Action• Students should refrain from carrying to school articles that may attract criminals orcriminal elements.• Post security at strategic places within the school environment.• Streamline lunch time so that upper school and lower school have minimal interphasing.• Encourage students who are not being collected from school by their parents to leavethe compound when school-related activities for the day have ended.• Have a specified holding area for students awaiting pick-up that is manned by eitherprefects or a member of staff or both.Immediate Action• Make alarm, scream and run away.• Do not attempt to fight back.• Co-operate and surrender the item demanded.• If cornered, submit to the robbers quickly.• Pay as little attention to their deportment as possible.• If the robbers are armed, be wise.• Report hold-up on the school compound to the CIMT and/or the police.Follow-up Action• Traumatised students and victims to receive counselling from the guidancecounsellors.• CIMT to determine factors that might have encouraged or led to the incident.• If perpetrators are identified and caught and are members of the school community,they should face immediate disciplinary actions such as suspensions and be warnedby police personnel.• Assess for possible intervention through PASS.Ministry of Education 2008 / 69