Gökmen DAĞLI
Dr., Near East University, Faculty of Education

Abstract

Problem Statement: In order for an education system to reach its goals, it is essential for the schools that make up the education system to do so beforehand. Constitution of physically and psychologically secured school environment is one of the preconditions for achiving such a goal. Security concerns affect students performance. Therefore, particularly school administration and teachers, but in general whole society have responsibilities on the subject of school security. Unwanted incidents may happen in schools or during students’ work outside but related to school. These incidents may be the accidents the students get exposed to in educational areas as well as they may be violent incidents among the students. Both cases threaten the students’ security. Everything that students go through from the time they leave home for school until they return home from school is considered within school security. School security is of higher importance in schools that provide transportation. School security covers security between home and school, in the school and in the classrooms.

Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study is to determine opinions of the teachers and directors serving in secondary schools and highs chools within the Education System of Northern Cyprus and parents about the importance of student security and to what extent it is achieved in the schools.

Methods: In this study, interview and observation technique from the qualitative methods are used. Middle schools and high school, each of them are the biggest in their regions around North Cyprus are chosen for this study. These 18 high schools and 14 middle schools include 26 school administrator, 30 teacher and 27 parent (83 participants altogether).

Findings and Results: In this section, The participants have expressed the need for measures towards increasing school and student security in the interview questions. The parents form the group with the lowest information about the measures necessary for school and student security in the scope of the study. The parents do not go to the school and get information on their children and the school unless they are invited by the directors or the teachers serving in the school.

Conclusion and Recommendations: As a result, According to most of the participants, it can be concluded that measures against natural disasters are necessary in schools. However it can also be evaluated that apart from disaster demonstrations, seminars and fire corners, no significant measures take place in the schools. The maintenance measures should immediately be taken as the school buildings are neglected and very old. Student safety is established by informative boards and keeping the potentially dangerous material locked, making first aid materials available in the gyms, laboratories and ateliers and make access to these places only under the teachers’ control. However some of the participants and almost half of the participant teachers who use these places due to their occupation express that no measures or insufficient measures are taken in these places for student safety.

Keywords: School, Administration, Administrator, Teacher, Parents, Security.