Eğitim Sen's Safe Education Report: Emphasis on a Holistic Approach and Human Rights

The report titled “Okulda Şiddet ve Güvenli Eğitim”, submitted by Eğitim Sen to the Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi (TBMM), presents a comprehensive analysis of the security problems experienced in educational environments. The report particularly emphasizes the reality that only physical measures will be insufficient to ensure safety in schools, and that more holistic and multi-dimensional policies need to be implemented to solve this problem. While this study, prepared by the union, brings the structural problems of the education system to the table, it also draws attention to the rights of students, teachers, and parents, based on the fact that a safe educational environment is a fundamental human right.

In the details of the report, calls for listing the steps that need to be taken to prevent school violence and security problems stand out. Eğitim Sen proposes reducing class sizes as a mandatory measure in order to combat modern-day threats such as cyberbullying and peer bullying. It is stated that crowded classrooms both lower the quality of education and make it difficult for teachers to closely follow each student, and it is expressed that smaller classes will facilitate a safe environment in terms of developmental and supervisory aspects.

Among the solution proposals, strengthening the structure of guidance services and social support units in schools is also included. The report calls for the establishment of guidance services with the capacity to take on a preventive and supportive role, not just one that intervenes in incidents. Furthermore, protecting the professional reputation of teachers and increasing their social prestige are shown as among the most critical steps to be taken to improve the school climate. It is argued that strengthening the authority and status of teachers will positively affect classroom discipline and consequently school safety.

The implementation of policies aimed at improving the school climate is at the forefront of the report's key recommendations. It is stated that school safety cannot be ensured solely by physical measures such as security guards or cameras, and that this must be supported by pedagogical and social measures. Emphasizing that the school is not just a place for teaching information but also a center for social and emotional development, it is requested that systematic policies be followed to ensure this environment becomes democratic, participatory, and free of violence.

Consequently, this report by Eğitim Sen reveals that it is not possible to solve violence and security problems in the education system with security-centered approaches, and highlights the necessity of an education-oriented approach. Addressing the TBMM, the union requests that legal regulations on this issue be revised in line with these recommendations. The report serves as an important document, highlighting that creating a safe educational environment is a social responsibility and that in this context, education unions, non-governmental organizations, and decision-makers need to cooperate.