School Safety/Manastirliu: New protocols, increasing the number of security officers and psychologists

2025-09-06 11:40:00, Aktualitet CNA

School Safety/Manastirliu: New protocols, increasing the number of security

On the eve of the start of the new school year, the Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu, held a meeting with social workers, psychologists and school security officers, who this year will work with a new guide, revised according to updated standards, to guarantee a calm and safe climate in schools.

Improving work protocols is part of the School Safety Plan, undertaken by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Speaking about the importance of strengthening the structures dealing with school safety, Minister Manastirliu said:

"For us, it is important that the figure of the school security officer, the psychologist and the social worker be further strengthened. We are working so that, within the framework of the Action Plan for School Security and the strengthening of preventive mechanisms against any form of violence and bullying in school, we can increase the number of security officers and strengthen the support mechanisms for these important units that guarantee protection and safety for our children inside and outside the school perimeter."

Minister Manastiriu focused on the improvements made to the modules and protocols as well as to the digital work tools, emphasizing the role of SMIP in managing cases and information in real time.

"We now have several improved and updated documents, which guarantee that the school security officer, social worker and psychologist have more tools to assist them in cases that they must report in real time. We have also made available the SMIP electronic platform for rapid information, to access in real time, information which not only remains traceable in the system, accessible by the school directorate and the teacher in charge, but also in the school's electronic archive. The individual education plan for students must be based on the student's experiences and behaviors within the school."

Minister Manastirliu also noted the strengthening of the presence of security officers in educational institutions and the expansion of psychosocial services in the pre-university education system.

"You are the pillars that maintain the safety and protection of our children. We already have all the instruments from child protection units, to coordination mechanisms against violence and bullying, to digital information systems that are in function of your work and direct contact. But what is important is that we will have more security officers in schools. This new school year, we will have more than 390 security officers. We are working hard, and the National Agency for Pre-university Education, together with the Security Academy, are training all those who have expressed their willingness to become part of the security officers in schools. Recruitment for the first phase has immediately opened, where more than 60 security officers will be in schools on September 8, and the rest within the first week of October. So we will have about 400 security officers in schools and we will continue to increase the number of security officers starting next year 2026. "Today we also have an improvement in the ratio of social workers and psychologists to students."

Speaking about the changes in work modules and protocols, Manastirliu underlined the need for expanded cooperation with the community and supporting institutions:

"The second, which is important, is related to the new tasks and responsibilities of social workers, security officers and psychologists, which are foreseen in the modules and work protocols that have already been approved. Social workers and psychologists will expand the portfolio of interaction with the community, with social service units in the territory, with emergency units, by strengthening connections with coordination, preventive mechanisms and child protection units. If we implement all these protocols, improved standards and guidelines designed to help you in your work, I am convinced that we will have an even safer school and an even higher quality education. During this year, we will conduct a series of trainings, up to targeted trainings on certain issues," said the Minister of Education and Sports, Ogerta Manastirliu./ CNA