School principals or their authorized representatives will be permitted to document student property inspections using video and audio recording devices, provided that the student is informed beforehand. This provision is included in amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers (MK) regulations approved by the government on Tuesday, the 11th of March.
In February, amendments to the Education Law came into effect, allowing school principals to search students’ belongings and restrict their movement for security reasons. The amendments tasked the government with developing procedures for implementing these measures.
The procedure, drafted by the Ministry of Education and Science (IZM), clarifies the school principal’s or their authorized representative’s responsibility to immediately decide whether to restrict a student’s movement if the minor poses a threat to themselves or others during school activities.
Additionally, the regulations define the process by which school authorities may request to inspect a student’s personal belongings and restrict movement when there is suspicion that the student has brought dangerous substances or items onto school premises or to school-organized events. The procedures also outline how other students and school staff should respond in such situations.
Once information is received and evaluated, the school principal or their representative must inform the student and their parents about the decision, explaining the reason for movement restrictions and the nature of the personal property inspection. Students will be required to present their belongings upon request.
The regulations emphasize that inspections must be conducted with respect for the student’s privacy, ensuring a separate room or designated area and maintaining dignity and respectful communication.
The regulations state that it is important to distinguish between a request to show personal belongings—such as a backpack, clothing, or shoes—regardless of the student’s location (e.g., at the school entrance, in a classroom, or locker room) and a full search of the student’s body or belongings, which falls outside the scope of these regulations.
Following an inspection, the school principal or their representative must prepare a report documenting the findings. One copy of this report will be given to the student or their parents, another will be stored at the school, and a third will be handed over to municipal or state police if dangerous substances or items are found.
In addition, the regulations note that if the inspection is recorded using video and audio devices, this must be noted in the report, and the recording must be submitted to the municipal or state police.
Should an inspection confirm that a student has brought dangerous substances or items to school, the school principal or their representative will notify the police and the student’s parents, ensure the confiscation and secure storage of the items, and supervise the student until authorities arrive.
If a student refuses to present their belongings for inspection, the school principal or their representative will inform the student’s parents and the police, specifying the information received that suggests the presence of dangerous substances or items. The student will then be supervised until law enforcement arrives, with efforts made to continue their education program if possible.
The amendments also regulate the procedure for submitting information to schools regarding a student’s health status or other factors that could significantly impact the educational process. They outline conditions for recording and updating this information in the State Education Information System.
As reported earlier, at the beginning of the month, amendments to the Education Law came into force, allowing school principals to search pupils’ belongings and restrict their movements for security reasons.
Amendments to the Education Law also require parents to inform the educational institution about the pupil’s health condition and other circumstances that may have a significant impact on the education process and be relevant to the persons involved.
Failure to provide this information may result in fines ranging from 20 to 140 penalty units.
Concerns about school security have been raised again following incidents of violence in some educational institutions. Such cases have occurred both due to students bringing dangerous items to school and due to insufficient cooperation between parents and schools, which prevents schools from accessing critical information needed to adapt the learning process to a student’s health condition, according to the legislative annotation.