The Ministry of Science and Education has introduced a school safety protocol to increase safety in educational institutions, protect students and staff and prevent high-risk incidents.

The protocol applies to primary and secondary schools as well as student residences. It describes measures to control access to school buildings, including locking doors, monitoring entrances and exits during breaks, managing visitors and carrying out security checks on people and property.

All entrances will be locked during school hours, except in emergencies; staff stationed at entrances monitor activity and verify identities; student movement is restricted during breaks, with primary school students prohibited from leaving the premises during long breaks.

Ministry wants to position schools as safe environments

Schools must form security teams made up of administrators, teachers and psychologists to regularly assess potential threats. Semi-annual evacuation and crisis drills are mandatory.

Visitors, including parents, must announce their visits in advance or be invited by the school. Staff are obliged to escort them in and out and to check their identity.

Multi-agency co-operation with law enforcement, social services and emergency services is an integral part of the protocol to ensure a co-ordinated response to any threat.

The Ministry’s initiative aims to position schools as safe environments through preventative measures and ongoing safety checks.