The public consultation with parents and teachers regarding measures to prevent all forms of violence, as well as addressing students’ and adolescents’ access to social media[...]

A public consultation with parents, teachers, and support staff on measures to prevent all forms of violence and the issue of students' and adolescents' access to social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat began yesterday at the "Sami Frashëri" high school in the capital. This initiative, which will be extended to schools nationwide, was launched by Prime Minister Edi Rama, following the tragic incident that occurred a few days ago, in which a 14-year-old was killed by his peer.

"We are starting today with discussions and consultations with parents on strengthening the mechanisms for preventing all forms of violence, as well as bullying, with a focus on social media," stated Minister of Education and Sports Ogerta Manastirliu, at the opening of the meeting, which was also attended by Prime Minister Edi Rama. She emphasized that the recent tragic event serves as a moment for reflection and an opportunity to continuously reinforce the existing preventive measures.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama: Thank you very much for the opportunity! Of course, we are eager to engage in a conversation, not just hold a meeting where we speak and you listen. I am pleased that we have a diverse group here-school leaders, parents from various parent councils-so we can approach this issue from different perspectives.

Before I give the floor to you, I would like to say a few things.

First of all, the issue we are discussing today, and the concern raised by this tragic event, is not something that has caught us unprepared or something we were thinking of doing but had not yet started. Not at all. We are currently in a situation where a whole process of change, not just in terms of the physical infrastructure of schools but in all aspects, has been underway for a long time. I don't want to take up too much of your time with a description of everything we are doing, but I would like to mention one important element we've been working on, especially in 2023 and this year: the issue of addressing cases of violence and bullying in schools. We have had 2,030 reported cases-although the actual number may be higher-of which 2,030 have been identified as problematic cases of violence or bullying. Of these, in 78% of the cases, parents were directly notified, depending on the specifics of the case. In 20% of the cases, the police were involved, and in 2% of the cases, ambulances and emergency services were called.

Furthermore, a special system has been established in collaboration with the Cybersecurity Agency to address cases of online violence and bullying. We also have reported cases and interactions that have helped address part of the issue.

In fact, we initiated a project about a year ago, which we are now finalizing, and I believe we will sign the agreement by the end of December. This project involves, on one hand, a completely new school monitoring system using advanced technology, and on the other hand, significant funding that we will receive through an agreement with the government of the United Arab Emirates. The system has been tested and proven to deliver exceptional results in the UAE, and it allows for real-time monitoring of the entire educational process and all activities within the school grounds using cameras.

Every parent, at any time, will be able to access and view their child, the classroom, activities, and teachers, by simply making a request to the school. Any situation outside the scope of academic discipline will be recorded.

Another important aspect is that we are combining this with the addition of a digital control system for all entries and exits from the school, for any kind of metallic objects, phones, or anything else that students may have in their pockets or bags, in order to strictly enforce the rules in place. However, we cannot say that the ban on mobile phones in schools is being enforced strictly.

Now, we must be very clear and honest with each other: this problem is much broader than just what happens within the walls of the school. It's not simply about what occurs inside the school.

This issue goes far beyond the police; it's not simply a matter of law enforcement. Most importantly, this problem is not only confined within the walls of the school, in all the interactions that take place between the two. I won't elaborate too much, but if we could, even for a moment, imagine that the overwhelming atmosphere-filled with harsh language and aggressive behavior-being transmitted through media channels could be toned down, perhaps we could see a broader change.

But, honestly, we don't have much control over this, and I'm unsure what the solution might be.

That said, the idea of banning TikTok and/or Snapchat-two particularly problematic platforms (although all platforms have their issues, these two present specific concerns)-is something we've been discussing for a long time, not just today. With this meeting, we aim to open up a wider discussion, because while the issue is not black and white, this could be a step toward significantly reducing the space these platforms create, which fuels and encourages violence, bullying, and general negativity.

With that in mind, and with my sincere desire to hear your views, I want to thank you once again for your presence and patience. The floor is open for anyone who wishes to share their thoughts and, if possible, offer suggestions. Teachers and parents both have valuable perspectives, and when teachers are also parents, they see the issue from both sides. Ultimately, the issue that matters most to us is the well-being of our children.