WILLEMSTAD--The Government of Curaçao is moving to strengthen security at schools following a serious incident in which a teacher was injured after intervening in a confrontation involving a student with a knife.
Ministers responsible for Education, Justice and Social Development met Tuesday with education and security stakeholders to determine short-term measures aimed at improving safety for students and education personnel. Education Minister Sithree “Cey” van Heydoorn, Justice Minister Shalten Hato and Social Development, Labor and Welfare Minister Charetti America-Francisca were among the ministers involved in the discussions.
Among the measures agreed are systematic registration and reporting of incidents, increased visibility and supervision at schools considered to face greater risks, bag checks, preventive information programs, information sessions, additional training for teachers and school-based exercises to prepare for emergencies.
The government has stressed that the response should not rely exclusively on greater control or punitive measures. Ministers said each intervention should be assessed on whether it contributes meaningfully to creating a safer school environment, while schools should remain places built around stability, respect and trust.
The latest measures follow an incident last week at a school in Otrobanda. According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, a student produced a knife during a conflict with another student. A teacher who intervened in an attempt to stop the confrontation was injured.
Separate reporting identified the location as SGO in Otrobanda and said police responded to the school, arrested the student involved and seized the knife. The incident generated renewed concern among education workers about violence and personal safety on school grounds.
Following the incident, the Education Ministry announced that existing school safety measures would be reviewed, accelerated and strengthened where necessary. Particular attention is being given to protocols governing serious violence, weapons and other dangerous objects, as well as the consequences for students who bring such items onto school property or place others at risk.
The criminal investigation into the knife incident remains a matter for the competent justice authorities. The ministry has said criminal prosecution may follow if warranted by the facts and circumstances of the case.
The latest action comes against the background of a wider school safety program that was already being developed before the incident.
In July, Curaçao's Council of Ministers approved a plan of action for a Psychosocial School Safety Plan covering all schools on the island. The Ministry of Education was given responsibility for implementing and coordinating the project together with the National Reform Commission, the Temporary Work Organization and other participating partners.
The intention is for individual schools eventually to operate under their own psychosocial safety plans within a broader national framework. The initiative covers primary and special education, VSBO, HAVO, VWO and secondary vocational education. Areas to be addressed include bullying, inappropriate behavior, codes of conduct, complaint procedures and protocols for reporting and responding to incidents.
Cooperation between Education and Justice has also been increasing through the Platform Veilige Scholen, or Safe Schools Platform. In July, representatives of the Education Ministry, police, school boards, school social workers and the compulsory education unit met to strengthen cooperation aimed at identifying problems earlier and intervening before situations become more serious.
The compulsory education unit was expanded this year from three to six officers and received its first formally appointed coordinator. Its role includes connecting schools, families and other agencies, with responsibilities extending beyond enforcement to early identification, guidance and monitoring school attendance.
School safety has also become the focus of action by Curaçao's education unions.
Union DOEN participated in the discussions and said it wants concrete agreements that can be implemented quickly. Its proposals include greater investment in student care and support structures, additional supervision and guidance, school safety plans and other preventive measures. DOEN is scheduled to meet its membership Thursday evening and has indicated that further action could be considered if sufficient concrete results are not achieved.
SITEK, which has also been pressing the government over school safety, did not attend Tuesday's meeting. The government said it was disappointed by the union's absence and intends to invite SITEK to participate in the working group addressing the issue.
SITEK has called for stronger measures, including immediate action against violence, threats and possession of weapons or prohibited substances on and around school grounds. The union has also called for military personnel to be stationed at schools, a proposal that goes considerably further than the measures announced by government following Tuesday's discussions.
