Schools are stepping up security measures: important information for parents about the new rules

Ukraine has adopted a new law that significantly strengthens security in educational institutions. The Verkhovna Rada supported this bill, and President Volodymyr Zelensky signed it. The law will come into force in three months, giving the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Internal Affairs time to develop the necessary bylaws. People’s Deputy Yulia Grishina announced this.

According to her, previously, school security requirements were scattered across several documents and recommendations, leading to inequality across educational institutions. Now the state is introducing uniform standards that will be mandatory for all schools, regardless of their location or type.

It is planned to develop standard rules for access to and stay in schools, to be jointly developed by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Each educational institution will be able to adapt these rules to its specific conditions, taking into account the local infrastructure and security situation.

One of the most essential requirements is the definition and delineation of the institution’s territory. Initially, it was planned that communities would have to provide full-fledged fences, but due to financial constraints, this was relaxed. Now, a school can have either a wall or clearly defined boundaries of its territory.

The law also determines the need for technical means to call the police – the so-called “panic buttons urgently.

The requirements for school security guards are being tightened: persons with convictions for violent crimes or for bullying cannot be allowed to perform their duties.

It is forbidden for unauthorized persons to be on school grounds, as well as persons in a state of alcoholic or drug intoxication, and those who have dangerous objects with them.

During a full-scale war, educational institutions remain places where children and teachers are every day. To this end, a standardized approach to security will allow:

To respond faster to threats;

to avoid chaos during emergencies;

To reduce risks for all participants in the educational process.
The government emphasizes that the three months until the law comes into force are a time for preparation. Communities should assess their capabilities, identify needs, and begin implementing the new requirements.