Parents of students finance evacuation plans

After some Montenegrin schools were evacuated in April due to suspicions that bombs had been planted, the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms recommended the Ministry of Education to provide financial and professional assistance so that every institution has evacuation plans.

Although it is attended by over 2.000 students, the "Slobdan Škerović" High School in Podgorica does not have an evacuation plan.

Some parents of Gymnasium students addressed the Protector, indicating that the Council of Parents asks the children to give an amount of two euros each for the preparation of an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency, which the institution does not have but should prepare, considering that its possession is the obligation of the institution, i.e. of the line ministry.

The Council submitted an initiative to the Ministry to prepare an evacuation and rescue plan for the school as soon as possible, which costs between 3.000 and 4.000 euros, and since they did not receive an answer from the department within the deadline, they started a voluntary fund-raising.

"The Protector appreciates that the role of the Ministry in solving such important issues is of inestimable importance, and that their solution should not rely on the activities of the Council of Parents, so in this sense it is necessary for the Ministry to give clear instructions to all educational institutions in order to overcome the existing situation and satisfying one of the preconditions for which the safety of children and employees is concerned", the opinion of the deputy protector states Snežane Mijušković.

Mijušković added that in the meantime, the Ministry submitted an initiative to plan funds in the budget for the creation of a protection and rescue plan. It is also stated that it did not give consent, but that it does not consider the voluntary participation of parents to be illegitimate.

The ministry, it is stated in the statement, could not assume the authority to suggest, approve or give consent to the evacuation and protection plan, for "which activity is the responsibility of several state bodies, primarily the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Directorate for Emergency Situations".

In Montenegro, according to official data, there are 50 preschool institutions, 167 elementary and 56 secondary schools, 13 music schools, three resource centers, as well as 12 student dormitories.

"The fact is that threats - reports to educational institutions have been repeated in the last period, as well as that there are a large number of potential dangers or risks that may occur, so for the safety of children and staff it is necessary that they all have plans for the evacuation of children and employees in in cases of danger"; it is stated in the opinion of Mijušković.

There are a large number of dangers that can occur and lead to consequences, such as earthquakes, floods, fires...

It is indisputable, the opinion points out, that in situations where there is a danger to the safety of children, directors or authorized persons are obliged to immediately notify the Police Directorate, the Ministry of Education and to evacuate the institution without delay, without waiting for the arrival of the police, according to the plan.

The Protector reminds that according to the Law on Protection and Rescue, one of the preventive activities and procedures is the preparation of plans. Therefore, it is necessary that all educational institutions have evacuation plans and instructions for action in the event of an emergency.

It should be noted that the plan submitted by the Podgorica elementary school "21 May" is in fact only an evacuation scheme and is not a document that states how the evacuation is carried out, its stages, certain parameters for the calculation, the speed of evacuation... Bjelopoljska Elementary School In 2014, "Marko Miljanov" adopted the Rulebook on fire protection, and after the delivery of threatening emails, it also adopted the Work Plan in crisis situations.

"We are of the opinion that the institution's evacuation plan should be practically checked (demonstration exercise) in order to implement it more efficiently in case of need and to check the readiness and training of employees and students during evacuation. The Protector reminds of a good example in Elementary School 'Olga Golović' Nikšić (2019), when within the framework of the Resilient Community Project financed by the Ministry of Interior, a demonstration exercise of evacuation and rescue of students, teachers and other staff in the event of an emergency situation at the school was successfully carried out. it is stated in the finding.