Majority MP: Schoolchildren Should Be Searched for Their Own Safety

Ruling party Georgian Dream (GD) MP, Guguli Maghradze believes the schoolchildren should be regularly searched in order to ensure their maximum safety.

The MP says that bags and pockets of children should be checked by Resource Officers at schools, in order to prevent students from taking prohibited and dangerous things to educational institutions.

“We know that in Europe and the US, where juvenile offenses are high, such preventive measures are conducted.  Children are afraid not to be caught and do not take cold weapons or other prohibited items to school,” Magradze said.

She also added it would be good to create a mobile application, which would enable schoolchildren to anonymously contact patrol police in case they see any violations at schools.

The Resource Officers, who are located in Georgian schools to preserve order and safety, seized 94 dangerous and prohibited items from Georgian schoolchildren in the first semester (September-December) of the academic year 2017-2018 in 1242 schools of Georgia.

The information was released by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The seized items include such things as knives, lighters, alcohol, electric cigarettes, cards and pyrotechnics.

As for the academic year 2016-2017, 177 high-risk and various prohibited items were seized during the personal search of schoolchildren at 1966 schools.

The Education Ministry says that a total of 4943 cases have been reported to the Interior Ministry since September 2016, and that the primary task of the Resource Officer is to ensure a safe, healthy and positive environment at public schools and to prevent violence.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Education Ministry have decided to reform the institute of Resource Officers.

At the presentation held on February 5, the Ministries stated that a draft law on General Education will be submitted to the Parliament of Georgia in the near future.

The draft envisages the installation of surveillance cameras on the internal and external perimeter of schools.

Moreover, the Resource Officer Service would gain more independence and higher legitimacy, which means the Resource Officer will be appointed to the position not by the School Director, but by the Head of the Resource Officers Service, which will increase the level of independence of the resource officer. The Head of the Resource Officers Service, in its turn, shall be appointed by the Minister of Education.

Also, in order to neutralize the conflict between schoolchildren and prevent the continuation of a conflict outside the school, a resource officer will have the right to detain a minor and notify the parents, while in case of an offense the officer will report the Police.

In addition to the legislative amendments, cooperation between Resource Officers and Patrol Police will be strengthened and patrolling at the school perimeter will be intensified.

The draft also envisages increased presence of psychological services at schools.

“This process will gradually cover the entire country and eventually all schools will have a qualified psychologist,” the MIA stated.

By Thea Morrison