The Protector of Citizens is preparing an Initiative for amending the relevant applicable regulations which would regulate in detail the provision of education and teaching services by individuals and legal entities, regardless of the form of registering their activities.
“Many business activities with less social significance than children's education are demanded to meet stringent requirements. We often forget that educating children includes not only schooling but upbringing as well. We will launch an Initiative to amend the current regulations so that it no longer happens that everybody may work with children without meeting the fundamental requirements”, the Protector of Citizens Mr. Zoran Pašalić stated.
The Initiative prepared by the Protector of Citizens should make it possible to determine whether natural and legal persons who intend to engage in the education and upbringing of children meet the requirements that apply to other educational institutions in terms of staff, technical and pedagogical requirements.
“I would not like that the case of female citizens who have been reporting sexual abuse for several days be forgotten when it ceases to be interesting in the media and that something similar reappear sooner or later without the issue being substantially addressed. And it is certain that this is not the only such case, " Mr. Pašalić said.
Mr. Pašalić underlines that it is necessary to regulate the system so as to ensure that people working with children, regardless of the type of education they provide, are being supervised by those who are required by law to take care of children and control what those people do and how they work.
“This is a very sensitive area that should not leave room for vague and emotional assessments. Victims should be enabled to turn to adequate institutions that should investigate their allegations, including the Institution of the Protector of Citizens, which has always provided protection to all vulnerable individuals and groups," said the Protector of Citizens.
Mr. Pašalić states that this is a very extensive and demanding job, but that it is the only way to protect the entire education system because the data of the Protector of Citizens based on complaints and information from the media suggest that this phenomenon is most prevalent in the field of education and employment.