Romania announces emergency school safety measures

The Romanian government has announced a series of urgent measures to combat violence in schools following recent serious incidents in Bistrița and Pitești. Prime Minister Luca Niculescu convened an inter-ministerial working group involving the ministries of Education, Internal Affairs, Justice, Labor, and Health to address the safety of nearly three million students across approximately 6,000 educational units.

Key measures include increasing the number of security guards at school entrances and within premises, as well as hiring more school psychologists to identify early signs of aggression and radicalization. The government also plans to establish a rapid response mechanism involving multiple ministries to coordinate interventions during emergencies.

Legislative changes are being considered to toughen sanctions for violence against both students and teachers and to strictly prohibit the possession of dangerous objects on school grounds. Additionally, teachers will receive specialized training to recognize risk signals, and a national media campaign will be launched to discourage violent behavior.