Teachers and parents on Saturday condemned the lack of security at schools in Croatia, a day after a stabbing spree in the Croatian capital Zagreb in which a seven-year-old was killed and four others wounded.
They have called for more to be done to ensure the safety of students and staff, including stationing guards in schools.
On Friday morning, a 19-year-old man entered Precko primary school and stabbed five people, injuring himself before being arrested.
The injured, including a woman teacher who tried to stop the attacker, are in stable condition and are being treated in different Zagreb hospitals, said health officials.
The parents council of the school where the attack happened said Saturday that the incident had exposed crucial flaws in the existing system.
“Unfortunately, this tragedy that we are all collectively experiencing is an indication that the relevant education systems have not taken the necessary measures to enable the implementation of a protection system for our school,” the council said in a statement.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday night that locks would be installed at the entrance to schools to ensure there could be no repeat of such an incident.
But for teachers, teaching unions and parents this was not enough.
“Unfortunately, the measures came too late,” teacher Marija Veronkica Cvjetkovic told local media.
“It’s not that we couldn’t have reacted earlier. As employees and as a union, we have already warned that something needs to be done to protect the safety of students and employees.”
Plenkovic said there appeared to be no ideological motive behind the attack.
It had most likely “occurred due to the health disorder of the young adult who committed this act”, he said.
Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Friday that the suspect, 19 and a former student at the school, had a record of mental disorders.
Three trade unions in the education sector have called for a silent march in central Zagreb Monday on the theme of safety in schools.
Parents have planned protests for January 7, when schools re-open after the holidays.
Since Friday evening, residents have been lighting candles and leaving messages of condolences near the school where the attack happened.
The education ministry said Saturday it had set up a 15-strong crisis team to work on helping children, parents and teachers to overcome the trauma.
dd/jj/giv
