Education

Educational Facilities

Primary, secondary and third level education facilities and institutions.

Description

Education facilities can be located within a wide variety of urban contexts, depending upon the stage/level of education which they provide; primary and secondary level schools are generally located within easy reach of large residential populations, while third level institutions are often located centrally within an urban area, or close to well connected transportation interchanges, allowing them to serve a wider population, and making them more attractive to students, graduates and employees alike.

Functions

Social

The key social functions of education facilities is in the education for children and students, as well as in the provision of employment to teachers and staff within the facilities themselves.

Economic

The primary economic function of education facilities is in the education of children and students to the optimum level, allowing them to become valuable and productive members of the workforce. Because of the personal benefits, education links heavily with economic growth due to the increasing global demand for highly skilled labour. Moreover, educational infrastructure creates jobs and income for not only its staff, but also for employees of supplying organizations.

The impact of security threats is primarily crime related (e.g. anti-social behaviour, child abduction). Crime generates costs in anticipation of crime (e.g. locks, surveillance, etc.), as a consequence of crime (loss of property) and in response to crime (police investigation, legal system, etc.).

Mobility

The mobility associated with the different education facilities will vary significantly depending on the type of facility (and the specific age group that it is intended to serve), its location, the availability of public transportation modes and the student population.

Safety

Education facilities are responsible for the safety of the students within their care.

Security Issues

Anti social behaviour can be a problem with education facilities, particularly those which are located within large residential areas; this frequently occurs as the open space (playing fields etc.) which surround them are often out of the general public’s view, and therefore may not benefit from surveillance outside of school hours. Schools also represent a unique threat environment, with the risk of child abduction (however small that risk may be) meaning that the security of the schoolchildren must be of paramount importance at all times. The security risk which surrounds third level institutions is also worthy of examination; colleges and universities are large employers, with employees having access to expensive information technology devices, which can present an easy target for would be thieves, while anti social behaviour, as represented by “rowdy” students can become a security issue.

Measures

Policing, alarm systems, private security...

MAP

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