SCHOOLS ON ALERT AHEAD OF EASTER CHECKING STUDENTS DURING OPERATION OF THE UNITS ADN CONCERN FOR THE EVENINGS OF HOLY WEEK - Filenews 2/4 by Evangelia Sizopoulou
There may be only two days left for schools to close in view of Easter, however, their addresses are called upon as they have their concern to prevent ... tragedies resulting from the habit of students to carry dangerous objects due to the period. Already, for days, all the Directorates of the Ministry of Education have sent recommendations to schools calling on their principals to take care in cooperation with the School Boards, for the implementation of safety measures.
Specifically, the list of measures that the directorates must take care of includes:
◗ Discreet control when students arrive at the school premises, in order to prevent the possibility of transporting sparklers, firecrackers or other related objects.
◗ Daily inspection of the school premises for any sparklers, firecrackers or other related objects.
◗ Informing students about the dangers associated with the use of fireworks and firecrackers, in cooperation with the Police.
◗ Informing parents/guardians in order to prevent their children from using sparklers and firecrackers.
◗ Prohibition of the use of school premises for lighting lamps, to avoid any spread of fire to school premises as well as the creation of additional sources of danger in the school.
◗ Informing the relevant School Board, the Fire Brigade and the Police in cases where it is observed that, in the school area or in an adjacent area, preparations are being made for the lighting of a lamp.
◗ Contacting the Police to carry out more frequent patrols, in cases where it is deemed necessary (e.g. high-risk areas, such as school units adjacent to churches, stadiums, remote school units).
At the same time, schools and School Boards must make sure that the existing security measures are implemented, as they are written in a specific form of the Ministry of Education, which concerns an inspection that must be carried out on fences, gates, staircase entrances, metal door and window gratings and security locks in the classrooms, control of the operation of alarm systems, control of the operation of the perimeter lighting of schools during the evening hours, control of the operation of alarm systems and, in cases where necessary, better control of night guarding.
This issue is of great concern every year to schools, School Boards, Police, local communities and municipalities. This is because, in addition to some incidents recorded in school units during the operation of schools, the biggest problem is found mainly during Holy Week and of course on the night of Holy Saturday, as in many schools the habit of children and young people to light fires often results in very serious damage and destruction. And, at the same time, not only the school premises but also their neighbouring houses and premises are endangered.
