Joy Burch has the happy news that fortifying Canberra’s schools is paying off:
New security fences erected at ACT Government schools have helped to halve the incidence and cost of vandalism over the past three years, ACT Minister for Education and Training Joy Burch said.
Figures from the Education and Training Directorate show that between 2009 and 2012, the number of reported incidents at Government schools dropped from 300 to 147, and the cost of vandalism-related property damage reduced from $606,668 to $282,684.
“These results show that the installation of school fences, combined with a focus of working with the community and police during school holiday periods, have had a significant impact on reducing vandalism at our schools,” Ms Burch said.