School Principals, teachers, support staff, students and school community parents and caregivers are far too frequently faced with the aftermath of break-ins to schools.

An irony is the apparent reluctance of some school leaders to follow through publicly on issues of wanton damage to premises and property. That may have to do with school leaders somehow feeling a misplaced ‘shame or blame’ for these happenings. The fact that schools are broken into is not their fault.

The issue needs to be aired in the public domain. Offenders should to be dealt with in other than a trivial fashion. They are fully aware of what they are doing and deserve to face realistic consequences.

Students and staff who are the victims of property crime need to know that offenders will be dealt with appropriately, not handled with kid gloves and let off lightly.

Schools used to be happy and open places of learning, not enclosed fortresses separated from their communities by security devices. Sadly, that era has been consigned to history and may never be restored.