ONNI on turvallinen koulu 2022–2024: Hankkeen loppuraportti [Success in school safety 2022–2024: Project report]

1.10.2024 Julia Kokki

Title:

Authors:

E. Lindfors, E. Luukka, L. Kiviranta, J. Kokki, M. Leino, T. Myllö, J-P. Peltola, H. Rajala, B. Somerkoski, M. Waitinen, A. Hilmola

Abstract:

SCHOOLS ARE MADE SAFE TOGETHER!

Normative acts and documents oblige schools to ensure they are safe spaces for learning and working. Media headlines related to school safety frequently highlight bullying, violence, school threats and accidents. Studies show schools need support to develop their safety culture. The aim and task of the Success in School Safety -project 2022–2024 has been to respond to this need by supporting schools in developing their safety and safety culture in a research-based manner.

Twenty schools from different parts of Finland took part: 15 pilot schools and five control schools, involving 964 members of staff and 8299 pupils. During the year-long development program, pilot schools established safety teams, prepared a school safety development plan and established an annual planning cycle for school safety. Schools shared safety notices in staff meetings and took part in meetings for school principals and safety team members. Schools were provided with a web application and a draft of Guidelines for Equitable Sanctions. In addition, school staff received further training and engaged their pupils in safety work.

The project research approached factors that advance school safety culture and changes in schools’ safety culture during the program from multiple perspectives: assessing schools’ self-initiated contingency planning and preparedness, identifying levels of safety culture through focus group interviews, schools’ self-assessment of safety expertise, safety incidents in schools, usability study of HES and developing criteria and methods for assessing the safety culture of schools.

Schools’ safety culture improved already within the first year of development. Schools nationally must carry out systematically led, long-term safety work that engages the whole school community, pupils included, and is founded on up-to-date information of the school’s safety snapshot. The project produced practical approaches and tools for schools: a model of safety culture, a school safety development plan, models for schools’ self-assessment of safety culture, for collecting and processing safety incident notices, for assessing hazards and risks, and a description of the tasks of school safety teams.

Led by the Department of Teacher Education (Rauma campus) of the University of Turku and funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the project was a part of PM Sanna Marin’s operational program to prevent bullying, harassment and violence in early childhood education, schools and educational institutions: to advance the safety culture of comprehensive education learning communities.

Keywords:

safety culture, proactive, reactive, safety competence, safety climate, safety observation, model of approach, comprehensive education, intervention, research and development project

More information:

Lindfors, E., Luukka, E., Kokki, J., & Kiviranta, L. (Eds.) (2024). ONNI on turvallinen koulu 2022–2024: Hankkeen loppuraportti [Success in school safety 2022–2024: Project report]. University of Turku. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-9635-3