Strict governance and detailed safeguarding policies mean that, in general, Australian schools are incredibly safe environments.
However, while they may face low risk overall, the incidents that do occur are high-impact, affecting the emotional and physical wellbeing of children, parents and staff.
Instances of violence and harassment towards school leaders have seen a steep rise in the last decade. Over half of the 2,300 principles in the 2024 Australian Catholic University survey said they experienced threats of violence, and 48 per cent said they had been physically assaulted. While many of these instances occurred internally, the report also noted that threats from parents and caregivers were a significant concern.
The Australian government, schools and teachers’ unions are still exploring how best to address these issues, but education reform takes time. Stressed teachers and scared students need additional safeguards now, and many schools have turned to technology to secure entryways, mitigating external threats while internal social and emotional behaviour policies are ironed out.
The following six examples demonstrate how Australian schools are using technology to manage access more effectively.
1. Electronic access
Traditional keys, difficult to manage and untraceable, have gradually been phased out in favour of electronic alternatives. These are a natural fit for school security systems because:
- They are adaptable: Administrators have the option of using key cards, fobs, or phones as authenticators. This allows schools to choose an access option that best suits their needs, whether that is securing an entrance gate, reception doors, or elevators.
- They are trackable: Electronic receivers record when and where a key was used to gain access, keeping operators informed of site-wide movement. This is great for security audits, or tracing a stolen credential.
The ideal electronic access network will look different depending on the school’s size and layout.
2. Digital check-in systems
Guest badges and paper sign-in sheets are an inconsistent measure when it comes to identifying visitors. In schools, knowing who is walking around and when is vital to protecting students and staff, and many have found that technology does a better job of this than any analogue methods.
Visitor management platforms digitise the process to enforce consistency, documenting a visitor’s purpose and tracking the time they spend on site, aiding safeguarding efforts by:
- Reinforcing child-safety practices: Standardised visitor procedures support compliance by ensuring adults on site are immediately recognisable as being identified and authorised to be there.
- Reducing reliance on manual processes: Paper logs can be inconsistent and challenging to audit. Digital alternatives are more accurate and easier to access for investigations.
- Supporting emergency response: DVMS makes it clear who is on campus in the event of an emergency and identifies those who may need assistance with relocation or evacuation.
Open and consistent procedures help manage access efficiently. More importantly, they demonstrate to parents and students that schools pay attention to who is visiting their school and why, helping to reestablish the trust and confidence that has seemingly diminished in recent years.
3. Integrated video security
Visibility is a core component of physical security. Electronic locks and visitor management systems provide ample data, but for an accurate, real-time view, schools should bolster them with smart video cameras.
Alone these devices can record, track and autonomously flag events, but when combined with access controls, they create a unified front against intruders. Integrated security networks allow:
- Additional verification: Combining visitor data and video footage gives a complete picture of who the guests are.
- Systems to communicate: Electronic locks and cameras can cover each other’s blind spots, and incident response becomes faster and more informed through a unified vision.
Teachers are worried about occupational harm, and this perception translates into real-world stress. The presence of security features they trust can help staff feel at ease, allowing them to do their jobs without worrying about external dangers.
4. Remote access for senior staff
School leaders have access concerns that extend beyond regular school hours. Remote mobile access platforms enable them to manage and respond to entries in real time, keeping out-of-hours functions as secure as the school day.
Requiring physical staff presence on campus can significantly impact response times during incidents of trespassing, but remote access management tools allow authorised staff to lock and unlock doors from anywhere in the world. Platforms like Salto KS build on existing access control measures to enable key staff to make quick decisions, such as allowing temporary access to maintenance teams or parent groups, reducing the administrative burden of physical key hand-off and on-site visits.
Augmenting access controls by granting select team members executive power can make schools more adaptable and increase resilience by sharing responsibility across trusted senior staff.
5. Time and role-based access
One-size-fits-all access policies struggle to keep up with dynamic environments like schools. Introducing time- and role-based hierarchies helps tailor access to meet individual visitors’ needs by factoring in who they are, why they are visiting, and what level of clearance they need to carry out their work.
Cleaning staff, for example, have access to supply closets and receive timed permission to enter restricted areas during their shift. Students may be limited to learning and recreation locations during school hours, which are then revoked once the day is over. These controls can be utilised with existing credentials to minimise the risk of intentional or accidental misuse, making life easier for teachers and security staff by reducing the need for constant vigilance.
Schools are heavily schedule-oriented, which makes time and role-based access a natural extension of how they already operate.
6. Emergency alerts and campus-wide notifications
High-impact events require streamlined procedures and effective communication. Access systems play an important role in this, working in tandem with popular student management platforms to pair emergency alerts with information regarding affected areas and restricted entrances.
Staff can use attendance and movement logs to track pupils across campus and deliver detailed instructions to students and emergency responders. Modern access controls enhance decision-making in crises, enabling staff to secure locations via remote lockdowns and manage incidents with clarity.
Effective management for dynamic school environments
A constant theme throughout these technology-driven improvements to access controls is their consistency. School staff are not handing off the responsibility of care to apps and cameras; they are using them to implement their safeguarding training in a fairer, more equitable way.
Though internal issues still require constant work from parents, carers and teachers, effective access management helps reduce unnecessary strain by ensuring predictability in guests and visitors. It’s a small but definitive step in restoring trust between families and their schools.
