The new Minister of Education, Sorin Costreie, is considering checking students’ backpacks at school entrances and installing metal detectors to prevent violent incidents. He also proposes doubling the penalties for assaults against teachers while performing their duties.
The statements were made on Wednesday evening on Digi24, following the Monday attack at a school in Bistrița, where a 13-year-old student stabbed a teacher and a classmate.
Checks at school entrances
One of the options considered by the Ministry of Education is checking students' backpacks when entering educational institutions. The measure could be implemented in all schools or only in those considered at high risk. "We are even thinking about checking the child's backpack upon entry, so that they don't end up having a knife on them," stated Sorin Costreie.
The Minister also mentioned the possibility of installing metal detectors, but acknowledged that such measures would raise organizational issues, especially in schools with thousands of students.
The checks could delay students' access to buildings and would require schedule modifications to avoid disrupting classes.
Currently, there is no decision regarding the implementation of these measures. Costreie explained that the ministry will analyze them after the new leadership organizes its activities.
Double penalties for assaulting teachers
Another proposal by the Minister aims to amend the legislation so that assaults against teachers while performing their duties are more severely punished. The model invoked is that of the legal protection granted to medical personnel.
"What we want to do for the protection of our colleagues, teachers, but also for the children and, in fact, for the entire school staff, is to strengthen the law. Recently, this was done for doctors and medical personnel. We would like to do the same for teachers. Specifically, in the event of such incidents, as it was here, while performing their duties, the penalty for the act should be doubled," the Minister stated.
Costreie emphasized his desire for the adoption of these changes as soon as possible. These would be accompanied by campaigns to prevent violence and changes in the status of teachers and students.
The Bistrița attack, the starting point
The proposals come after a serious incident that occurred on Monday morning at the "Ștefan cel Mare" Secondary School in Bistrița. A 13-year-old seventh-grade student attacked a math teacher and another student with a knife. Both victims required medical care, and the teacher underwent surgery.
According to the Minister of Education, the attacker's target was actually another student, a sixth-grader of Roma ethnicity. Costreie mentioned a possible case of radicalization and described the incident as "shocking."
However, there is an important limit to the proposal to toughen penalties: the student who committed the attack is 13 years old and, according to current legislation, is not criminally responsible. Therefore, any doubling of penalties would not apply to him.
The Minister argues that punitive measures must be accompanied by prevention efforts so that such incidents are prevented before endangering the lives of teachers and students.