WILLEMSTAD – The Curaçao government has agreed with education unions on a series of short-term measures to improve safety in schools, including bag checks, increased visibility of authorities at higher-risk schools, improved incident reporting and emergency drills.
The measures were discussed during a meeting on Tuesday, September 22, involving Justice Minister Shalten Hato, Social Development, Labor and Welfare Minister Charetti America-Francisca and Education, Science, Culture and Sports Minister Sithree van Heydoorn, who participated virtually.
Teachers' Union DOEN meeting with the government
Officials from the three ministries, the management team of the Curaçao Police Force (KPC) and representatives of the unions DOEN, STSK, ABVO and STRAF also participated.
Van Heydoorn opened the meeting by emphasizing that the safety of students, teachers, non-teaching staff and other education professionals is a government priority.
“Violence, threats and weapons have no place in schools,” the minister said.
The government stressed that work on school safety did not begin in response to the most recent incident. Several measures and programs were already underway, while others were being prepared.
Following discussions with the unions, seven short-term actions were identified.
Schools will be required to report incidents to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (OWCS), the Ministry of Justice and KPC, and the Ministry of Social Development, Labor and Welfare (SOAW), particularly its Family and Youth Sector. The collected information will be evaluated monthly.
KPC will also develop a new information and prevention program similar to initiatives used in the past but adapted to the current needs of students and schools.
Authorities will increase their visibility at selected schools considered to face greater risks, while schools themselves will introduce bag checks as a preventive measure.
Information sessions will be organized for teachers and other school employees, parents and students. These sessions will focus on safety, prevention, recognizing warning signs and understanding individual responsibilities.
Teachers will receive additional training to help them identify warning signs, manage difficult situations and respond appropriately when incidents occur.
Schools will also introduce practical emergency drills to prepare students and employees for situations requiring a coordinated response.
The ministers stressed that students must understand that violence, threats and carrying weapons can have serious consequences not only for others but also for their own futures.
The parties agreed to establish a working group consisting of government officials and union representatives. The group is scheduled to begin meeting on Wednesday to develop proposals for measures that can be implemented quickly.
The government said it was satisfied with the discussions and agreements reached during Tuesday’s meeting.
The government expressed regret that education union Sitek did not attend but confirmed that the union will also be invited to participate in the working group.