School pupils told to hide under desks as part of terrorism drill
Parents have expressed their concern after their children were made to hide under tables as part of a terrorism drill.
The staged lockdown took place at Ellon Academy in Aberdeen and was thought up by head teacher Pauline Buchan.
The drill saw children hide under desks and be told about an intruder alarm, after an incident at the head's previous school in 2012.
Homeless Paul Hawksworth scaled Fraserburgh Academy and held a six-hour protest over benefits cuts.
The father-of-two later apologised for “any inconvenience” he caused and said it was a last-ditch attempt to get help.
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Now, pupils at the academy have had to practice going into a staged lockdown to prepare them for things such as a chemical incident or intruders.
Pauline Buchan, from Ellon Academy, introduced the training to pupilsAfter some parents expressed concern, they were told it was part of a new policy for all schools in the area, despite no others having carried them out, reports the Daily Record.
While showing a presentation, which included a picture of Mr Hawksworth, Ms Buchan said: “A new procedure that Aberdeenshire school have to practise is a lockdown drill.
"Around 10 years ago when I was acting head teacher in a previous school there was a man on the roof and he was protesting about some personal things.
“We had to put that particular school into a lockdown scenario but the difficulty was that we had no idea what the man had up there with him.
“The phrase we will use is ‘Project LD – the Lima Delta project will now begin’ and that gives staff and pupils the signal to go inside and stay inside.”
Children were shown a slide telling them how to run, hide and tell if an intruder makes their way into the schoolMs Buchan said the phrase Lima Delta - which is thought to be code for lockdown - was used for a chemical incident, emergency blocking entry or exit of the school and if there was an intruder and children should stay away from doors.
One parent, whose child took part in the drill, said: “It makes me worried that this is happening and that the school felt the need to bring something like this in. My daughter took part in the drill and I think she was really quite scared.
"She was asking me what it was needed for and if someone was going to try to shoot them in school or something.”
Another mum, whose 14-year-old also took part in the drill, added: “My initial reaction was that this can only be a good thing if it is designed to increase safety but I’m curious about why other councils aren’t doing the same.
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"If there is a known, or higher risk, of this type of threat to young people in Aberdeenshire, then I would like to know more about it so I can make a fully informed decision about sending my daughter to school.”
Pupils were shown a picture of a man on a roof during the Lima Delta projectOne pupil described how youngsters were made to hide under a desk and the classroom door was locked.
They were later questioned how effective hiding under a table would be if an intruder got into the school
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “No new health and safety policy has been introduced to our schools and the drill at Ellon Academy in early November was part of testing its emergency response plans.
"Not all schools will choose to run a lockdown drill and testing of emergency response plans is a decision for the school.
“Lockdown scenarios could include an intruder on the school site or a major incident in the community. Parents and carers were notified of the drill in weekly newsletters sent home in September and October, via the school’s Facebook page, and an update on the successful test was provided in November.”
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