Parliamentarians support draft law that will strengthen child safety: main innovations

On November 21, in the first reading, members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Bill No. 11543 "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine 'On Complete General Secondary Education' on the Introduction of Security Measures in General Secondary Education Institutions."

This was reported by the government portal.

The proposed changes are intended to strengthen the safety of children in general secondary education institutions and establish mandatory rules for staying on the territory and in the premises of an educational institution.

At present, there are no established rules, prohibitions or restrictions on the stay of citizens on the territory and premises of educational institutions, the report says.

Main innovations

Introduction of rules for staying on the territory and premises of the institution. The founder of a general secondary education institution is obliged to create a safe educational environment for all participants in the process. In view of this, the educational institution must formulate and adopt rules for the stay of persons on the territory and premises, taking into account the specifics of the region where the educational institution is located and the characteristics of each school or lyceum.

Defining the boundaries of the territory. The draft law provides for the fencing of general secondary education institutions. The requirement that an educational institution must be fenced exists today - in accordance with the requirements of the sanitary regulations for general secondary education institutions, approved by the order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated 25.09.2020 No. 2205. Defining the boundaries of the territory at the level of the law will allow establishing rules for unauthorized persons to stay on the territory and applying measures to citizens who violate them. And most importantly, it will make it clear where the territory of the educational institution begins and ends.

Equipping the institution with means of urgent police call. As of November 14, 2024, the police provide security by installing a police emergency call button in more than 10,000 educational institutions, which is 92.9% - the vast majority of the total number of institutions. This allows the police to respond to any call from the school administration and teaching staff in a short time.

Restriction of access for persons posing a threat. It is proposed to prohibit persons under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants from being on the territory and in the premises of an educational institution. Access will also be denied to citizens carrying dangerous objects and substances.

This will significantly reduce the risk of incidents that could endanger the lives and health of participants in the educational process. It is also proposed to tighten the requirements for people who provide security for educational institutions. No person who has an outstanding criminal record or has been found guilty of violence or bullying may be employed.

Ігор Льов