The goal of the project “Educational Environment Safety Managers” is to introduce managers who should identify and eliminate threats to the safety of schoolchildren. In wartime, it is a must. This is how Maksym Tkach, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD with Europe in the Donetsk Oblast, opened the info session on clarifying the details of the project.
According to him, these managers should be employed by the executive body of local self-government. Their main task is to take care of the safety of all those involved in the educational process. In particular, it is about managing the presence of any outsiders in schools, traffic near the educational institution, fire safety and keeping an eye on situations in which schoolchildren may get involved in illegal activities or with destructive youth groups. This also involves the prevention of bullying and discrimination on any grounds, as well as humiliation of dignity and honour.
“The new position involves close interaction with the police, rescuers, PTA and NGOs. Managers must undergo special training according to the appropriate curriculum in educational institutions within the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” said Mr Tkach.
Andrii Riabukha, Decentralisation and Local Self-Government Adviser at the Regional Office, detailed the functions of the educational environment safety manager from the perspective of local self-government. According to him, this is an employee of the local self-government body who works in the executive body of the council, which is in charge of creating a safe educational environment.
“Activities of the educational environment safety manager are coordinated by the head of a village, town or city. However, the manager must also interact with the National Police of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service and other state authorities.”
Mr Riabukha emphasised the requirements to develop and approve the job description of a safety manager and arrange for them to undergo appropriate training in the first year of employment.
Furthermore, according to him, local self-government bodies should adopt a regulation on the selection committee, determine the procedure for its operation and criteria for selecting a candidate for this position, approve members of the committee and conduct a selection competition:
“The task facing our society at the moment is to create a safe learning space for children. This is the goal of this pilot project. I believe this to be one of the first steps in this direction, but it is far from the last,” said Andrii Riabukha.
The participants of the event learned the legal framework of the introduction of safety managers in general secondary education institutions and the role of the National Police of Ukraine in this process. Moreover, the officials of the local self-government were explained their role, tasks and actions necessary for the implementation of this project.
Vitalii Romanov, representing the Department of Juvenile Prevention of the National Police of Ukraine, Valentyna Zubko, Deputy Principal of the Petrykivka Lyceum in the Petrykivka municipality, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Viktor Vizyr, Educational Environment Safety Manager of the Slobozhanske municipality, also joined the work with the municipalities.
