April 29

Newspaper: “24 Hours”

The Pilot Project of the Guards is Being Successfully Carried out at Schools

Author -  Nino Barabadze

The schoolchildren, parents and the teachers positively evaluate  guards’ activities at seven pilot schools. Besides, only two weeks have passed, the relations between the guards and the schoolchildren have been already developed. The Ministry of Education and Science hopes, the guards will play the decisive roles in the scope of Safe School conception. The statistics show, attendance of the schoolchildren has significantly increased after entrance of the guards.

The Minister of Education and Science, Dimitri Shashkini will answer the following questions: what responsibilities do the guards have? When will they enter other schools? What happened during these two weeks?

- Around two weeks have passed since the guards began to implement their duties at schools. Are you informed about the changes that are found after their entrance in schools?

- Besides only two weeks have passed since the guards entered the schools, I think the project successfully works and I am sure, we will receive the desired result – the schools will become safe. Already acknowledged problems were identified during these two weeks, but the guards entrance in schools once again confirmed the activities to be held for safe schools. I begin my working day by visiting the schools where the guards work.  Deputy Ministers do the same. We want to guarantee the unproblematic integration of the guards in the school environment.

- Did the concrete incident occur in schools?

 - Many positive facts happened during these two weeks, by one abolishment occurred. For example, the student lost her mobile phone in the buss. She asked the guards for a help. They called the police and they returned the mobile phone to her in half an hour. This fact confirms the confidence, which exists among the guards and the schoolchildren. According to the schedule, the guards finish their working hours after the lessons. None of them leave the school if one child is still in school. Unpleasant incidents occurred in parallel too. The guards stopped the 11^th graders who were taking away food from the first and the second graders. This is inadmissible.  Reactions on these facts will be very strict. Everybody have to understand, the guards will protect the rights of the schoolchildren. The guards surpassed the fact, when the teacher was sending the child out of school to solve the personal issues during the educational process. The fact occurred, when the teacher made the 7 years old child to leave the lesson without reasons and demanded to call the parent. The child stood in the hall and cried. She didn’t know her address to ask the parent to come to school. Parent expressed the protest towards the guard in one school. As it turned out, her child was systematically late at schools. The guard asked the school principal to react. The principal called the parent and warned her. The parent didn’t like this.

Above mentioned facts highlight the guards are necessary at schools. Facts of children’s rights violation form the teachers and vice versa really exist at schools. The guards will react on these facts. Their responsibility is to protect the rights of the children as well as the teachers’. Order will be restored at schools after guards entrance. We have to implement this all together. Foreseeing that 2400 schools exist in the educational system, more than 600 schoolchildren study and around 80, 000 teachers and 30,000 administrative staff work in schools, they have different opinions and views, they can react negatively on this innovation, but we are ready.

- When will the guards enter all public schools?

- From the next academic year, the guards will work in all public schools. They will enter other big cities at the next stage. In the case of private schools, the guards will work there too, if the administration wishes so.

- Many people are willing to work as guards. What criteria should the person satisfy in order to become the guard? Do age and experience influence on this?

Willing people call in the Ministry all the time. More than 100 announcements are entered in the  Ministry and the Ministry doesn’t create any artificial barriers. But the selection process will be strict. This is natural. We should have the guarantee that the guards are balanced persons and understand children’s psychology. all eligible candidates who are 20-45 ages have opportunity to take participation in the competition. Candidates who will successfully pass the selection round, will be   given three week courses at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The guards will study different disciplines and most importantly, Children’s psychologists will work with guards.

- Guards are subordinated to the Ministry. If the guard exceeds his/her responsibilities? What will the Ministry do?

- General Inspection and guards control group exists at the Ministry. The Ministry will strictly react on any abolishment of the guards. Guards, being working nowadays, passed the high quality trainings. The control exists. We have to define the duties of the guards here. Guards will not punish anyone, they will maintain order. Control over the children’s attendance is one of the responsibilities of the guards. The government finances schoolchildren education via vouchers and the sum must be spent on education. Guards implement their duties through reports. They note the abolishment in these reports. The report is written in three copies - one is for the principal, the second is sent to the Ministry and the third  -  for the guard.  Though the guard has no right of punishment, he gives the report to the principal and asks the principal to react. If the principal doesn’t react, the Ministry will involve in the process.

- Some schoolchildren bring knives and participate in conflicts and etc. They will not meet the guards with pleasure. Did the guards pass the course of behavior with these children?

- I underline, no abolishment was noticed from these schoolchildren during the two weeks. I talked with the guards today and they noted, hipper active children have respectful relations with them. that’s why we prefer children’ psychologists. Qualified specialists train the guards and teach them how to behave with these schoolchildren.

- Information was spread that guards rebuke the children for decorations, clothes etc.. .

- The child chooses the style independently. but if the schoolchild brings the hidden knife in the mobile, guards will react on this fact. I met with the schoolchildren yesterday. One of them persuaded me they are dissatisfied with the guards. But the guards have not entered yet public school #7.