Organized by the Faculty of Educational Sciences (FON), today, on the occasion of October 5 – World Teachers’ Day, a roundtable on the topic “Addressing Violence in Schools” was held.
The event was an occasion to promote and open a debate on the new manual for teachers “Safe School Environment: Addressing Violence with Communication Protocols”, developed by professors from the faculty.
Teachers, educators and professional associates participated in the debate, and the keynote speakers were Prof. Dr. Kiril Barbareev, Prof. Dr. Daniela Koceva and the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Prof. Dr. Trajche Stojanov.
Dean Stojanov emphasized that this manual is the result of a multi-year initiative and a several-month intensive project, the main goal of which is to offer concrete support to educational workers.
“Together with colleagues, we have concluded that when dealing with violence, teachers in primary and secondary schools often face the problem of how to communicate properly – both with the victim and the perpetrator and their parents. These communication protocols should provide an initial framework for dealing with all stakeholders. This is an opportunity to open a debate with teachers, to see whether it will be useful to them and in what direction to continue the research, in order to develop specific scenarios for dealing with this serious problem,” emphasized Prof. Dr. Trajce Stojanov.
He added that the manual deals with five basic types of violence (physical, emotional, cyber, sexual and social) at the first, or elementary level of prevention and early intervention.
Prof. Dr. Daniela Koceva emphasized that the purpose of this material is to be a practical aid in everyday work, and not another publication that will remain unused.
“The handbook will not be just another book on the shelves gathering dust, but rather offers practical mechanisms for dealing with the various forms of violence in modern society. School must be a place where children feel safe, accepted and secure. No child should be afraid to go to school, nor should any teacher be left alone to face violence. The handbook offers them precise guidelines and protocols to ensure that they act correctly,” said Prof. Dr. Daniela Koceva.
By organizing this roundtable, the Faculty of Educational Sciences once again confirmed its commitment to building a safe, supportive and stimulating environment in educational institutions.
