Newsroom
In light of a recent ban on mobile phones in secondary schools, discussions about student safety have intensified following two serious incidents in schools, according to a report by Kathimerini's Christos Bouris. The incidents have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of students and highlighted the need for a stronger culture of prevention.
On October 17, an eight-year-old boy was severely injured at a primary school in Larnaca. The student and his classmates attempted to help a friend who had locked himself in a bathroom. As they moved from the ground floor to the first floor, the glass door to the toilet shattered, injuring the boy. Reports indicate that safety recommendations from the Ministry of Education, issued back in 2017, had not been implemented. These guidelines called for replacing unsafe glass with safety glass or applying a protective film, but it appears that many schools have not followed through, possibly due to budget constraints or lack of staff.
MP Andreas Pasiourtidis has since posed four questions to the Ministry regarding the extent of outdated glass in schools, the number of pending replacements, and the timeline for implementing safety measures. The Ministry is currently gathering data to respond to these inquiries.
In a separate incident at Paphos Technical School, a student injured himself while trying to climb through a school fence. He was rescued by the fire service and taken to the hospital for surgery. Dr. Elias Markatzis, director of Secondary Technical and Vocational Education and Training, characterized the incident as a result of human error and emphasized the importance of educating students about safety and self-protection.
Myria Vassiliou, president of the POED, has called on the Ministry's Health and Safety Office to ensure safety checks and issue certificates for schools. She noted that many safety concerns have been raised by teachers but remain unaddressed, again citing understaffing as a significant issue.
Both incidents underscore the urgent need for a proactive approach to school safety, focusing on implementing existing safety protocols and fostering a culture that prioritizes student health and well-being. As the Ministry investigates these events, community leaders are calling for immediate action to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
