Last week, Kretinga police officers went to one school twice. The officers were called when a student tried to commit suicide, and the next day – when a student attacked classmates in a fit of rage and the school principal came to calm him down.
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These two incidents at one school are unrelated, but they reflect the tensions faced by children and educators in Lithuania.
According to Vika Gridiajeva, a psychologist at the Pedagogical Psychological Support Department of the Kretinga District Education Center, if there was an incident at the educational institution, it does not mean that the support plans are not working.
“The school is just like life here and now. Various things happen in life, the important thing is that there is a response. And in this situation, there was a response,” said the specialist.
She, like the school principal interviewed last week, emphasized that the situation was responded to according to the prescribed algorithm. Institutions were immediately informed and specialists were working at the school the next morning. After assessing the risk, they made a temporary decision regarding the child’s remote learning.
As V. Gridiajeva noted, this story should not be confused with inclusive education.
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“Because the context of inclusive education means that every student can learn in the way that suits them best, and this is definitely not an unsafe situation,” said the psychologist.
She also highlighted data from the World Health Organization, which reveals that one in six children has mental disorders. According to V. Gridiajeva, the aim is to draw attention to children who have difficulties as early as possible.
“We need to respond earlier and be prepared that in the future we will see more such cases,” the interviewee said.
When asked whether it would be worth considering separating children who have difficulties, the psychologist replied: “A class of 20 or 30 students can definitely be too large for these students, but the alternative we have is also extreme – either remote learning or at home. We have an incredibly large number of isolated students, which certainly does not improve the situation.”
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Currently, 191 students with special educational needs are studying in schools in the Kretinga district.
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