The National Republican Guard (GNR) announced initiatives set to encompass over 4,600 educational institutions and more than 678,000 students nationwide within their jurisdiction.
These initiatives aim to raise awareness about the adoption of self-protection behaviors, general security, community inclusivity, and prevention of socially deviant behaviors.
As part of a program celebrating its 33rd anniversary, GNR reported the seizure of 73 weapons on school grounds during the last academic year, including 53 knives, six firearms, and five air guns.
A total of 2,354 crimes were recorded in school environments, with voluntary physical offenses (890), threats and coercion (374), and theft (183) being the most prominent.
The GNR also noted 1,198 non-criminal incidents, including collaborations with Child and Youth Protection Commissions (338), service reports (234), and cases of school dropouts (234).
In the previous academic year, GNR conducted 16,318 awareness-raising sessions, reaching 873,328 community members, including students, teachers, educational assistants, and guardians.
Today marks a focus on student transportation safety as the 2025/2026 academic year commences, addressing increased traffic as classes resume, according to GNR.
The Guard additionally warns of the dangers posed by bullying and cyberbullying, which can cause significant emotional distress and even impact the mental and physical health of children and young people in severe cases.
Meanwhile, the Public Security Police (PSP) also initiated school-based operations today to ensure a smooth return to classes.
For the upcoming school year, ten national operations are planned concerning bullying and cyberbullying awareness, human rights and equality, sports violence prevention, juvenile delinquency, and arms possession and usage.
PSP’s awareness programs will also focus on safe internet use, emergency number 112, domestic and dating violence, addictive behaviors, abuse and sexual misconduct, and road safety.
During the 2024/2025 academic year, PSP recorded 130 bullying incidents and 21 cyberbullying cases in schools, noting a decrease compared to the previous year.
The Safe School Program teams conducted 31,640 awareness sessions over various topics, engaging 730,934 participants, and made 82,834 individual crime prevention contacts last academic year.
