Põltsamaa school brings in security patrols after student disruptions

Põltsamaa Basic School in Estonia will have security patrols on its grounds from Monday after repeated disruptions by a small number of pupils. Staff will also receive alarm buttons to summon security workers when needed, ERR reported.

Up to three pupils in grades six and seven have caused problems for some time, disrupting lessons and other pupils’ learning, school director Henry Kallaste said. The school’s Põltsamaa location has 603 pupils.

Kallaste said the pupils often do not attend school, and when they do, they run through corridors, kick rubbish bins and fail to follow instructions. He said the latest incident was when they broke into the school building in the evening.

The school and Põltsamaa municipality have contacted police, but Mayor Taavi Aas said a police patrol is not always available in smaller towns. The municipality will buy security services for an initial period through the end of the year. Aas said the cost would be a few thousand euros a month, depending on how often staff use the alarm buttons.

Aas said work with the pupils is ongoing, but changing their behaviour takes time. He also said legal steps to place a child under 14 in a closed educational institution require a lengthy process. In his view, the situation in Põltsamaa reflects a wider challenge for municipalities, as dialogue and social programmes do not work with every young person.