Enhancing Finnish basic education schools’ safety culture through comprehensive safety and security management

Abstract

School safety and security has become a topical issue internationally that concerns both educational research and policy. However, whereas several studies have focused on technical safety, less attention has been given to comprehensive safety and security management (SSM) and policies enhancing schools' safety culture. In order to provide new knowledge on the topic, this study addresses the following research question: What kinds of safety and security management development needs are related to a) technical, b) human and c) pedagogical leadership areas for enhancing comprehensive safety culture in Finnish basic education schools? This study uses a multiple case study approach and a multidimensional auditing tool for evaluating the SSM development needs in four Finnish basic education schools. The main findings highlight several developmental needs in the planning, implementation and evaluation for safety and security work. On these bases, this study suggests that policies and guidelines need to be improved both on the school and national levels. Particularly, special attention needs to be focused on the staff training, competence and comprehensiveness of safety and security management. The findings of this study are topical for both Finnish and international school settings that address enhancing a comprehensive and inclusive safety culture.

‘What is this ISIS all about?’ Addressing violent extremism with students: Finnish educators’ perspectives

“…Without teachers’ competences to critically reflect upon their own imaginaries, understanding and knowledge about VRET-related themes, there exists a risk that the contents of emerged discussions will be partially shaped by the educators’ own intuitive responses, epistemic distortions or incomplete understandings (e.g. Niemi et al, 2018; Vallinkoski et al, 2020).…”

“…Ghosh et al, 2017; Valk, 2009). Without being aware of their own predispositions towards different ideologies and values, there exists the risk that educators end up unconsciously transferring their own possible prejudices, biases and intuitive responses to pupils (see Vallinkoski et al, 2020).…”

“…The school shootings in Finland have provoked widespread public debate and led to various policies and initiatives geared towards preventing further such incidents and to developing a safety culture and safety and security management for EIs (see e.g. Vallinkoski and Koirikivi, 2020). It is important to point out here that the perpetrators of the Jokela and Kauhajoki school shootings left behind writings and images clarifying that their attacks were meant to send a political message: the perpetrator of the Jokela school shooting explicitly defined his act as political terrorism and stated that he did not want it to be viewed as a mere ‘school shooting’ (Malkki, 2014).…”

The contribution of the teaching contents of primary and secondary education to the development of the security culture of young people

“…На том путу реализовани су значајни про јекти који се односе на Имплементацију безбедносног обра зо ва ња у програм образовања наставника и педагога на универ зи те ти ма (Teacher Safe), Безбедну школу (Safe School), Промоцију без бе дности у образовању (EduSafe), Развој модела евалуације за про цену мера превенцијe (EVAPREM). 2 Истовремено је и у ака де м ској литератури присутан став да елементима безбедносне ку л ту ре не треба да се управља фрагментарно, као делом неког за се б ног подручја, већ их треба адекватно интегрисати у општу шко л ску културу (Vallinkoski, Koirikivi, 2020).…”

Cultura inclusiva: Camino hacia la atención de diversidad en la educación

“…La puesta en marcha de una cultura inclusiva desarrolla sobre valores e ideas, pues los intentos de crear una cultura, no siempre funcionan bien, ya que existen entre niños, padres y maestros. Por ello, las instituciones deben centrarse en la planificación, implementación y evaluación del trabajo de seguridad y protección hacia los estudiantes para mejorar la cultura inclusiva, brindando la seguridad escolar y la gestión integral que a su vez son elementos poco considerados dentro de las políticas educativas(Vallinkoski y Koirikivi, 2020).Desde 1988, Unesco ha promovido aspectos educativos y patrimoniales para fomentar las acciones inclusivas, donde los temas patrimoniales logran fortalecer los rasgos característicos de cada comunidad, por ello el sistema educativo debe fortalecer el valor de la inclusión, brindando oportunidades paralelas a su comunidad(Huerta, 2021). Los contextos culturales comprometen la universalidad y la sostenibilidad de los integrantes de la educaciónCultura inclusiva: Camino hacia la atención de diversidad en la educación Horizontes.…”