Denis Tahiri
"I was forced to send my child to a private school." this is how Sara, a mother of a 12-year-old son, begins her story for "Sinjalizo". For the 35-year-old, there were many reasons, but the most important was the safety of her child. "In the state school that was originally there, there were 45 students in the same class, how much time does a teacher have to look at other aspects of the child in addition to teaching". she says. For 4 years now, she pays an amount of 150 thousand old lek per month, where in addition to the basic curriculum lessons, the school also offers art programs, starting from piano to acting or dancing for children. "The boy finishes school in two, three times a week, I also take him to football, I am thinking of enrolling him in an IT course two days a week, leaving no free time to spend a lot of time in the neighborhood." says the 35-year-old woman, who does not hide her concern about getting involved with a "bad" company and picking up her son's vices.
But she is not the only one who has this concern, which is a problem she shares with the parents of 320 students in the Republic of Albania. Parents who try to find a balance between working to provide material goods and educating their safety.
Currently, in schools across the country, about 240 security officers (so not in all schools in the country) and 840 psychologists have become part of the staff, as a plus element for increasing children's safety and conflict resolution, but events in schools are not they have rarely proven that the security and conflict resolution mechanism has failed.
How does the "Security Officer" work?
In 2018, the Albanian government introduced an initiative for the school security officer. 6 years later, it seems that this initiative has not been given the necessary attention. Currently, the number of 240 officers in schools does not cover the entire territory. On the other hand, the lack of continuous training for these employees shows that the initiative started 6 years ago, has not taken the necessary seriousness.
A senior officer of the State Police, in a communication, told "Sinjalizo" on condition of anonymity that: "Cases of conflicts in schools referred by security officers to the Police are very few".
The same source showed how the security officer mechanism works, who have a protocol in case of a conflict between students. "Open and look at your background, if you have other cases. If not, you are tolerated", he says, adding that there have been cases where officers have notified the police inspector and the latter has gone. "It belongs to them, the parents, the staff and we have reconciled them. You can't take every 12-year-old to the prosecutor's office, it's a trauma for them", he concludes.
On the other hand, sources near the Ministry of Education indicate that conflicts have increased significantly in recent years in the pre-adolescent and adolescent ages.
Experts: The culture of violence must be abandoned!
"Albania urgently needs, starting from kindergarten, it needs to have what is called an early warning system", says Altin Hazizaj, the head of the CRCA, adding that this means that teachers, educators, psychologists and anyone related to children must be trained. For Mr. Hazizaj, A child's misbehavior should not go unnoticed, as it: "it could be an indication that this child is going through one of the most serious situations which tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, if allowed to pass, could bring serious situations".
For psychologist Destemona Çelo, in nurseries and schools where children spend a large part of the day, the frequent cases of violence reflect a major social problem. "This is related to adult behavior patterns that are often based on harsh authority rather than cooperation and communication," she says, stressing that this sends a message to children that dominance and fear are the main ways to resolve conflicts. But Miss Çelo also emphasizes the lack of emotional education in children. "This makes it difficult for children to learn healthy ways to express feelings and address conflicts." she adds.
"The parent tells his teenage son if he shot you, shoot him and no you say what time, if someone hit you first report it and second tell me it's my job to protect you not yours", explains Altin Hazizaj, bringing to attention a part of the culture of violence transmitted from parents to children.
"Bjeri fell to you"- psychologist Çelo says about an expression used not infrequently by Albanian parents - "this normalizes violence as a means of resolving disputes that occur since childhood." she says, adding that when a child hears and experiences or models such an approach from his/her caregivers, the child learns that using physical force is an acceptable way to protect himself and does not see other optimal options. "This creates a cycle of violence where violence is not only tolerated but also reinforced as a behavior." ends psychology.
A system where every link has problems
"Municipalities today do not invest any money for children"- says the head of the CRCA, who adds that these institutions: " they opened a day care center and the children's issue was resolved, and meanwhile the children who have problems have nowhere to receive social Services, the psychologist is paid, if you want to help a child who has psycho-social problems, you need funds". he emphasizes, adding that the whole school must also be completely re-dimensioned, for internet access, where children do not stay 24/7 and this requires an urgent solution in Albania.
For psychologist Destemona Çelo, in many educational institutions in Albania, the lack of uniform and infrastructural resources is a serious problem. She says that training on the use of social networks is no longer an option but a necessity: "For educators, children, teachers, and parents. Educators need to be trained to understand the impact of social networks and help children develop a critical approach to them." she says, emphasizing that parents have a role in monitoring them, but also in informing children about the benefits and disadvantages of social networks. "Regarding training for children, they should be part of the school curriculum, adapted according to the age of the child". ends psychology.
At a time when raising a child is something that is expensive today, and where parents often have to work long hours, for Mr. Hazizaj, another necessity has arisen.
"You become a parent naturally, you don't read a book to become a parent." says Mr. Hazizaj, adding that what parents need today is to make some TV programs, guides for positive parenting. "Let's share models, let's share problems, where parents say my child has these problems, how to work with the child to solve these problems?", he says, stressing that we need as a society to change our attitude towards violence. "No display of violence against children should be tolerated at an early age, 2,4,5, XNUMX, XNUMX years old, that's where it starts." he concludes.
At a time when the world is changing at a high rate, the need to change the approach to child education becomes even more urgent, where state institutions but also the family, must always be alert for changes that can lead not only to violent teenagers , but also in their transformation into a criminal contingent.
