We always heard growing up that school was our “second home.” It was supposed to be the perilous second most safe place after our houses. But recently, that concept has been shattered. Today, for countless parents, the thought of sending their children to school feels frightening. It’s no longer only about education – we worry whether our kids are safe from the “monsters” that are secretly hiding in the walls of the school.

Money Doesn`t Buy Safety

Everyone’s horror was over the incident at Seeds International School. It has made us realize hard reality: expensive tuition and an ‘International’ tag do not guarantee security. Parents believed that shelling out a lot of money would mean their kids were safe. But the crime took place inside, demonstrating that without rigid oversight, an upscale school can be as hazardous as any other institution. It told us not to assume we could rely on a brand name.

An Alexandrian nightmare

Then there was the horrifying tale from Alexandria that no one could believe. The case of the “Masked Worker” (the janitor) who molested nearly 30 children. How can so many kids be done this to by one man for such a long period of time? This is a catastrophic failure. It makes us ask: Where was the administration? How is it that nobody saw that? The man simply used his day job to prey upon innocent children, and that’s real frightening.

Yassin and the Courage to Speak

The other can’t be “forgotten.” His story shattered our hearts, but it also opened our eyes. Yassin is every child who was taken and cannot speak. But the difference here was the family. They were courageous. They didn`t keep quiet for fear of getting a “scandal.” Speaking up for his rights. What we need is that kind of courage because silence is what enables these criminals to continue.

What We Need to Do

Why is this happening? Because schools do hire people, but they don`t adequately run psychological checks on them. A clean record just does not cut it. We need to know if the man handling our kids is mentally sound.

We also need to break down our shyness. We have to raise our kids to understand the “good touch and bad touch” concept. We should inform them that their body is only theirs. And there need to be cameras in schools— not in bathrooms but on the doors tracking people entering and exiting.

Our children, the most important job we have, are what we need to protect. We should not allow schools to become a place to be scared. We to speak out, as Yassin’s family has done, and ensure this never happens again.