The files kept by audited schools (attended by over 11.5 thousand students) confirm that pathological behaviours are most common in lower secondary schools (8.8.percent of students). In primary schools such behaviours were observed in 5.5 percent of children, whereas in upper secondary schools it was 2.2 percent of students.
The most frequent pathological behaviour in schools is verbal and physical violence. Verbal abuse prevails according to students (74 percent of 2 359 ones surveyed by NIK) as well as teachers (43 percent of nearly 1000). 58 percent of students and 15 percent of students mention physical abuse. The cases reported in the school files most often mentioned signs of aggression (51 percent). According to NIK frequency of such behaviours is growing. In school years 2005/2006 and 2007/2008, verbal as well as physical violence was reported by a half of surveyed students.
NIK underscores that the phenomenon of cyberviolence (abusive behaviours using electronic media) is getting more and more widespread. It may take different forms: from rude smses or emails, so-called happy slapping (placing mocking pictures or videos in the internet (e.g. in social media) to publishing private materials (e.g. a victim’s letters or photos - outing). Already one fifth of students admit they receive nasty smses or emails with threats.
It is alarming that children and youth still use drugs or new psychoactive substances (including addictive drugs and so-called legal highs). The data from the NIK audit in 2012 (audit of drug abuse prevention in schools) based on 11.5 thousand surveys shows that more than 31 percent of students have witnessed drug use in their school or have heard of that from a credible source. As much as 17 percent of them have seen or heard of drug sale in their school. Above 28 percent of surveyed teachers admitted that the drug abuse issue among students exists. Only in the audited period drug-related incidents were reported in nearly one third of schools. In those cases - in line with effective procedures - it was essential to call in parents and the Police.
In the surveys students pointed to such issues as smoking (76 percent), alcohol abuse (10 percent) and theft (23 percent). Many of them reported mocking, manifestations of malice and different kinds of coercive behaviours. It may be an alert that the so-called bullying (which involves all of these behaviours) is already present in schools.
The school is an important link in the pathology prevention process but it does not work properly. The NIK audit shows that the preventive measures taken by schools in school years 2011/2012 - 2012/2013 did not lead to a reduction of the most frequent pathological behaviours among children and youth. According to NIK a weakness of the pathology prevention in schools were prevention programmes for school which should be the basis for preventive measures to be taken by teachers and pedagogists in the future. School principals did not adjust preventive measures to existing needs and threats. They worked on inadequate school prevention and education programmes. The audit shows that they are developed without prior in-depth diagnosis in the community of students, parents or teachers. Instead of identifying real problems in their institutions, school principals rely on some overall data or repeat the same activities in subsequent years (e.g. a lower secondary school in Knurów executed the same programme for 10 years). As a consequence, prevention does not correspond with threats. In some of the audited schools the programmes were too general and formulated in a way that did not make it possible to assess their effectiveness. The schools also do not use effective and proven prevention programmes, recommended in the National System for the Recommendation of Prevention Programmes and Mental Health Promotion. Only one fifth of schools covered by the audit use these programmes.
School teachers are not properly prepared to identify threats and intervene at an early stage. All audited schools organised training programmes concerning the ways of responding to pathological behaviours which proves insufficient, though. In the survey conducted by NIK nearly 30 percent of teachers admitted that they still did not know enough of risky behaviours of their students. As much as one third of schools do not train their teachers in how to properly develop and efficiently implement prevention programmes, tailor-made to specific groups of children and youth.
It is worth mentioning though that in most schools (17) prevention programmes were addressed to the entire school community, i.e. students, teachers and parents. NIK also appreciates efforts taken by the principals of nine audited schools that made the students’ parents involved in preventive measures.
Local government authorities do not give much support to school principals in their fight against pathologies. Nearly a half of audited municipalities earmarked their income from alcohol licence fees for purposes other than for the prevention of drug or alcohol problems. From those funds they paid for instance municipality liabilities or the budget deficit, in this way breaching provisions of the Act on Upbringing in Sobriety and Counteracting Alcoholism. Also the efforts taken by local governments as part of the so-called municipality strategies for solving social problems did not contribute to the reduction of pathological behaviours among students. It happened that some municipalities (56 proc.) did not even run after-school rooms. Others improperly monitored implementation of compulsory schooling until 18years of age, despite the fact that playing truant or being unprepared for classes were two in three most frequent pathological behaviours mentioned by teachers.
During the audit NIK identified contradictions between provisions of the Act on the Education System and the Ordinance (based on that Act) of the Minister of Education. They concern the manner of passing the education programme by schools. NIK has called on the Minister to correct the regulations.
NIK has recommended the school principals to apply measures tailor-made to the situation in their own schools, preceded by an in-depth community diagnosis. NIK also reminds of the need to provide teachers with vocational training.
Municipalities should support schools: use income from alcohol licence fees only for the purposes related to the prevention of drug abuse and alcoholism. They should also monitor the implementation of compulsory schooling on an on-going basis and organise students’ free time, e.g. in after-school rooms.
