[PIO] Meeting on the prevention and treatment of violence and delinquency in schools

The Minister of Education, Sports and Youth, Dr Athena Michaelidou, chaired a meeting on the prevention and treatment of violence and delinquency in schools.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Secretariat of OELMEK, PDOED and OLTEK and from the leadership of the Pancyprian Confederation of Federations of Associations of Parents of Public Secondary Education Schools and the Pancyprian Confederation of Federations of Associations of Parents of Primary Education Schools, as well as officials.

In the context of the meeting, the discussion focused on the role of the school, although it was stressed that the issue concerns many factors, such as the family and society. There was an exchange of views on the procedures followed by the Ministry's services and schools, as well as on the policies and actions implemented both to prevent and to deal with phenomena of violence and delinquency.

Issues relating to the empowerment of teachers, as well as school management teams, to enable them, in cooperation with the Ministry, to better manage such phenomena were also discussed. In addition, the important role played by the School Counsellor and the Head of Department in terms of normalising undesirable attitudes and behaviours and improving the wider school climate was highlighted.

Through the discussion it was agreed, among other things, to promote amendments to the Violence and Delinquency Legislation, to simplify the procedures concerning the use of the Direct Intervention Team by schools and to study support and empowerment programmes for children with extreme delinquent behaviour. In addition, it was agreed to upgrade and support the role of counsellors at all levels and to promote teacher empowerment and training programmes, as well as to re-promote programmes in schools that foster a positive climate (e.g. Crisis Management, etc.).

The Minister stressed the role that parents can play in order to prevent and address such phenomena, as well as the importance of the Ministry's close cooperation with both the State Ministry of Social Welfare and the Police for a more holistic approach to the issue.

Finally, Ms Michaelidou referred to the actions that the Ministry will take in the near future, always in cooperation with all stakeholders.

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