IT is a sad sign of the times that schools need to spend large amounts of cash on security.

Now education chiefs have been given £129,117 to make Bolton's schools safer. All schools will receive some money, but greater amounts will go to those which are considered high risk.

That's a sensible way of dealing with the share-out which is part of a windfall to ensure pupils are safe at school and on making shcools vandal-proof.

Ted Fielding, Bolton education authority's assistant manager for building, recalls a time when schools could have an open-door policy. Unhappily, this generation of children is unlikely to enjoy such a situation.

They will only be aware of closed circuit TV, keypad entry systems and the like.

While we welcome the money being spent on making our schools safe, we deplore the social climate which makes it necessary.

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