The OSCE Mission in Kosovo supported the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) to organize a series of four roundtables under the theme "Prevention and Referral of Violence in Schools and the Implementation of Child Protection Policies."
Held between 2 and 9 October 2025, the roundtables included 138 institutional, school-level, and parents' council representatives, as well as Kosovo Police and health representatives from Ferizaj/Uroševac, Pejë/Peć, Podujevë/Podujevo, and Obiliq/Obilić. They explored the root causes of violence in schools, discussed effective prevention strategies, referral procedures, and inter-institutional co-operation, and shared experiences and best practices from their municipalities.
Through expert presentations, open dialogue, and case study reviews, the roundtables contributed to enhanced understanding of the child protection framework and school violence prevention and response measures. They also improved communication among relevant actors and created a network of trained child protection co-ordinators in the participating municipalities.
"The safety and well-being of children in educational institutions is a shared responsibility and of paramount importance. These roundtables reaffirm our joint commitment to building inclusive, protective learning environments, and ensuring every child's right to education and safety is protected," said Ambassador Gerard McGurk, Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo.
A key takeaway from the roundtables was that child protection through quality education requires integrating important topics into school programmes, such as children's rights, violence prevention, gender equality, and respect for diversity. Other topics included online safety, mental and emotional wellbeing, prevention of trafficking and child exploitation, age-appropriate sexual education, life skills, and peaceful conflict resolution strategies.
Participants called for continued institutional support and recommended finalizing Standard Operating Procedures for handling school violence cases, integrating child protection into teacher training programmes, increasing the involvement of students and parents in preventive activities, and using inter-agency simulation exercises more frequently to strengthen response preparedness.
In addition to facilitating the discussions, the OSCE Mission also supported the printing and distribution of the "Protocol for the Prevention and Referral of Violence in Institutions of Pre-University Education" and its implementation guidelines, which were presented and discussed during the sessions. These documents offer clear insights into institutional roles, co-ordination mechanisms, and procedural standards for addressing violence in schools.
The OSCE Mission in Kosovo is mandated to protect and promote human and community rights, as well as democratization and public safety sector development. It remains committed to supporting institutions in strengthening child protection systems and fostering safer school environments.
