Ilda Hoxha
The murder of a 14-year-old near the ‘Fan Noli’ school in Tirana has raised serious concerns about safety in educational institutions. The government introduced the School Security Package a year ago, but the implementation of these measures is now under question. Experts highlight concerns about the role models offered to young people and express concerns about the role of school security officers.
In September 2023, Taulant Balla, then Minister of the Interior, introduced the School Security Package. Accompanied by the then Minister of Education, Evis Kushi, Balla emphasized the tightening of measures around school safety perimeters.
‘Within this month, we will propose a legal amendment package to strengthen penalties for crimes committed within the School Security Perimeter. This will focus primarily on the sale and distribution of narcotics, followed by the unauthorized possession of firearms and bladed weapons, as well as any acts of violence, exploitation, prostitution, or pornography,’ declared Taulant Balla on September 1, 2023.
He added: ‘Local State Police structures, in cooperation with municipalities, will identify and define the Security Perimeter for each school based on an on-site assessment. In all cases, this perimeter will extend no less than 50 meters around the boundary fence of each school.’
What Does the School Security Package Include?
A year ago, the Ministry of the Interior shared key points outlining the contents of the School Security Package. Public safety is one of the main areas addressed by this package. It specifically states: ‘The primary goal is to prevent crime and the use of narcotics among young people, as well as to aggressively target the drug distribution network within the School Security Perimeter and nationwide.’
The package also clarifies the role of security officers in schools, who are tasked with acting as liaisons between the educational institution and the State Police.
‘School Security Officers have a vital role in enforcing the School Security Package, serving as intermediaries between the school and the State Police They are responsible for reporting and managing all situations in a timely and accountable manner that may pose a threat to public safety,’ as outlined in the package.
Other key aspects of the package include: ‘Road safety, food safety, urban safety, task forces, hygiene, and tobacco use in schools.’
How was the school security package implemented
On November 18, a 14-year-old was fatally stabbed by a peer near the ‘Fan Noli’ school in the capital.
The teenager, who has since been arrested by the police, got into a conflict with two other minors and during the confrontation, he struck them with a sharp object. All three minors were injured in the incident.
‘Due to the injuries sustained, one of the 14-year-olds died in the hospital, while the other, along with the suspected perpetrator, is no longer in life-threatening condition,’ the State Police reported.
Following the tragic incident, the Ministry of Education and Sports issued a response. In an official statement, the Ministry called for action from all stakeholders to prevent similar events in the future.
‘The Ministry of Education and Sports has consistently taken and is implementing concrete measures to ensure that the teaching process in all schools across Albania is conducted in the safest, most orderly manner, and in accordance with established standards,’ the statement declared.
Education expert Ndriçim Mehmeti criticized the failure of those responsible for school security to address the issue.
‘What’s happening, and how is it possible that no one knows? A fight had been escalating for a week, yet neither the teachers, parents, nor psychological services were aware. We have these services in the school environment: principals, psychological services, class teachers, quality coordinators, career coordinators. Instead of these children expressing their abilities, they go to school armed, and no one knows,’ Mehmeti raises the concern.
He further stresses that, unfortunately, schools today do not guarantee safety.
‘The Security Package, widely publicized and promoted as a success in preventing adolescent conflicts, has failed completely,’ argues education expert Ndriçim Mehmeti. The Ministry of Education and Sports, along with the Ministry of Interior, presented the proposal to increase the number of security officers in the Education Commission and elsewhere, yet here we are. Schools do not ensure safety, either inside or outside their premises, as long as students arrive armed, ready to settle disputes with weapons rather than dialogue,’ Mehmeti emphasized.
On October 30 of this year, an 18-year-old was stabbed by a 17-year-old in the courtyard of ‘Shote Galica’ high school in Fushë-Kruja.
In May 2023, a social media dispute among teenagers in Gramsh escalated tragically, resulting in the death of a 16-year-old student from ‘Asllan Shahini’ school.
Mistakes we’re making with adolescents
Psychologist Arjana Muçaj tells Faktoje.al that today’s adolescents are being presented with the wrong role models as examples of success.
‘Behavioral models, both within families and outside, are not appropriate. In a society where values have been replaced by anti-values, these distorted influences take precedence for adolescents and are blindly followed, especially through social media and visual media.
It’s challenging to communicate with adolescents today because they lack basic norms of communication. Their insecurities and fears are often replaced with frustration and aggression as they seek to establish a status within their peer groups,’ the psychologist points out.
Muçaj further emphasizes that, unfortunately, violence is seen as the only form of punishment, holding parents responsible for this situation.
‘The greatest mistake is the misunderstanding of boundless freedom among adolescents. Parents have given them the impression that they are already adults, but they don’t realize that they are still children. They are in the most critical phase of development, both physically and hormonally, which directly affects their emotional growth.
We do not have rules. There is no positive discipline, which children should receive from the beginning. We don’t have alternative methods of discipline; everything is linked to physical punishment as a form of correction,’ says psychologist Arjana Muçaj.
The school safety package and clashes in Parliament
The murder of the 14-year-old near ‘Fan Noli’ school has sparked debates during the plenary session on November 19th.
Democratic MP Ina Zhupa stated that the School Safety Package has not been implemented, emphasizing that the government only talks about scandals after they happen.
‘We have been killed as a society. We are no longer a society if we wait for a death to talk about issues. We are just a group of people living together. Look at the ‘Fan Noli’ school, it was ranked first. Imagine the tragic condition of our schools. Are we going to talk about this or are we not going to talk about this?’
Regarding this issue, the Minister of State for Relations with Parliament, Taulant Balla, called for the doubling of criminal penalties for those who commit crimes near schools.
‘This event should hold us all accountable. As members of parliament, I invite the opposition to speak up and express readiness to support all necessary and stringent legal measures. After these elections, we will have a qualified majority. If you wish to contribute to strengthening measures against crimes near schools, we have several committees, including the Legal Affairs Committee led by Mrs. Bushka. Let’s take this incident as an opportunity to tighten all criminal laws and adopt a new approach to guarantee safety in schools,’ Balla declared.
