Giving Compass' Take:

• Nigeria and the United States are both trying to elevate school safety as Nigeria deals with kidnappings and the U.S. navigates gun violence in schools. 

• What can these countries learn from each other when it comes to school safety? 

• Read about the steps that the United States is trying to take to tackle school safety issues. 

Mass shootings, kidnappings and other abductions have triggered a cry for securing our schools. Parents and educators in the United States and across the world are echoing the call for better school security with recent kidnappings in Nigeria igniting a similar discussion as the one permeating it into other countries.

In the case of Nigeria, the call to improve school security is the result of over 200 abductions from a Borno State boarding school. Like many other communities, Nigeria has stressed how important the involvement of the community as a whole is to the success of any strategy.

Mass shootings have plagued the United States, spawning a cry for school security across America. In the United States, there was a commission appointment in March 2018, to immediately produce recommendations on how to stop the spread of tragic school violence.

There is a faction that believes the problem of school violence is directly associated with gun control. On the other side of the debate are those who do not believe that guns are the cause. However, both sides of the argument, as diverse as they are, deem school security a common priority.

The international community may be able to learn a lot from the efforts surrounding the safe school initiative in Nigeria. The ultimate objective for every school administrator, parent, or law enforcement officer is to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn.

Read the full article about the safe schools initiative by Aisha Babangida at Medium.