Last week's school attacks in Şanlıurfa Siverek and Kahramanmaraş Onikişubat prompted the Government to take action, and the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Education took the necessary steps to take precautions in our schools as a result of coordinated efforts.
These measures include;
At the joint meeting of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Education on April 16, 2026, it was decided to update the existing security protocols by analyzing the way attacks occur and response processes. In the new period, the following topics will come to the fore in schools:
1-Physical Security: Entrance-exit controls, camera systems and service routes will be subject to strict control.
2-Early Warning Mechanism: “Early Warning” systems that will enable instant data sharing between school management, guidance services and law enforcement agencies will be strengthened.
3-Tackling Unlicensed Weapons: Decisive steps will be taken to prevent access to dangerous elements by increasing inspections around schools.
The measures taken by the Ministry of National Education on April 24, 2026 were listed as follows:
The main security measures implemented by MoNE in schools are as follows:
1. Entry-Exit and Visitor Controls
Visitor Tracking: Parents and visitors coming to the school are registered, identity checks are made and visitor cards are issued.
Entrance gates: Security guards or authorized personnel are present at the school entrance gates to prevent unauthorized entry of foreigners.
2. Physical Security and Control
Security Cameras: The inside of the school, corridors and the surrounding area are monitored 24/7 by security cameras.
Private Security and Law Enforcement: Certified private security guards or law enforcement officers (police/gendarmerie) work in schools.
Elimination of Blind Spots: Risky areas and abandoned buildings around the school are identified and measures are taken in coordination with the Police and Municipality units.
3. Discipline and Student Safety Rules
Dress Code: Students are required to wear the school uniform. This ensures that outsiders can be identified and students can be easily recognized.
Prohibited Items: It is a disciplinary offense for students to bring prohibited equipment such as cutting, piercing tools, flammable substances or electronic devices to school and bags may be searched according to the relevant legislation.
4. Digital and Cyber Security
Internet Filters: Strong filtering systems (MEBIS/Fatih network) are used in the networks of MoNE-affiliated schools to prevent access to harmful, violent and inappropriate websites.
5. Preparation for Incidents
Emergency Drills: Regular drills are conducted against scenarios such as earthquake, fire and evacuation to raise awareness of students and staff.
Risk Action Plans: School administrations, guidance services and law enforcement agencies carry out joint action plans to prevent incidents such as violence and peer bullying.
Then, on April 26, the Ministry of Interior sent a circular to 81 provincial governorships listing the security measures to be taken at schools. These security measures are just an elaboration of the measures outlined in the April 16th meeting!
When we look at the measures taken by both Ministries on school violence, we see that only security measures come to the fore. This brings to mind the question of school safety or safe schools.
School safety is the ability of students, teachers and other school staff to continue their educational activities without fear of physical, psychological and social harm. This concept includes protection against risks such as violence, bullying and substance abuse in and around schools and preparedness for emergencies such as disasters. School safety is when students, teachers and other staff feel physically, psychologically and emotionally free. School safety is the creation of a favorable environment for learning at school.[1]
School safety refers to the provision of safety from all kinds of dangers by its employees and the reduction of teachers' and students' concerns about safety by creating positive human relations and a safe climate.[2]
A safe school is a place where education can take place in a pleasant environment free from fear, violence and anxiety. Such an environment provides an educational climate of care and acceptance for every student. A safe school is a place free from bullying, where behavioral expectations are clearly communicated and enforced in a supportive and caring manner.
Again, a safe school is a place where students express themselves freely, where teachers and other staff help them as they work to learn, and where they feel safe and secure from danger and fear. In this sense, a safe school can be characterized as a place where students and teachers feel physically, psychologically and emotionally free.[3]
In this context, the characteristics of a safe school environment can be listed as follows:[4]
1. Positive and supportive school climate.
2. Quality academic teaching.
3. Involvement of students and families in school planning and policy-making decisions.
4. Less use of coercive measures that result in insecurity, anxiety and sadness.
5. Provision of consultancy services.
6. Violence prevention, conflict resolution and crisis intervention plans and programs.
7. Implement prevention programs consisting of peer mediation and conflict resolution techniques.
8. Utilize environmental designs and technological inventions that can contribute to the safety of students and educators.
9. Written intervention plans to ensure school safety and prevent violence.
School climate, which consists of factors related to the attitudes, feelings and behaviors of individuals within the school system, is also very important in the formation of a safe school. The qualities related to the school environment that distinguish one school from another and affect the behavior of each member of the school are the school climate. School climate encompasses the unwritten beliefs, values and attitudes that determine the pattern of interaction between students, teachers and administrators. The climate of a school can be thought of as the personality of the school. In other words, what personality is to an individual, climate is to an organization.
Eight critical areas can be identified for creating a safe school climate;[5]
a) Excellence in teaching: Excellence in teaching encompasses not only the breadth and depth of target knowledge, but also the skills required to transfer knowledge to students, motivate students to learn and manage student behavior.
b) School values: A clear and easily understandable school philosophy is fundamental for the prevention of school violence and for a safe and positive school environment.
c) Awareness of strengths and problems: It is impossible to solve problems without being aware of their existence. Therefore, the areas where the school needs to improve and the strengths on which to build should be identified.
d) Policies and responsibility: Having clear policies, as well as how these policies are set and implemented, affects school climate. When teachers participate in decisions, their commitment to the resulting rules is higher. At the same time, teachers need the freedom to choose the best strategies based on their personalities, experiences and teaching styles to achieve their goals.
e) Care and Respect: In schools where students are cared for and respected, they are less angry and engage in less violent behavior.
f) Teacher support: Teachers have a key role in creating a positive school climate. In this sense, it can be stated that it is necessary to support teachers on the one hand and to support students on the other.
g) Physical environmental characteristics: Issues such as cleanliness, aesthetic appearance, organization and security are important in this context. Safe schools should be well prepared for immediate crisis situations.
As can be seen, the measures taken by the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of National Education in response to the attacks only concern school security. However, the problem of our schools is not only security measures, but also the creation of a safe school climate.
--