La seguridad integral en los centros de enseñanza obligatoria en España

Schools are the places where our children spend a large part of their time, learning or doing different sports, cultural or recreational activities. Schools must be safe and healthy spaces for both the workers who work in these institutions, and also, and above all, for the recipients of the educational service: children and young people. For this reason, we believe it is important to ask ourselves if these spaces are sufficiently safe, analyzing not only the building and the facilities where they are housed, but also a series of other risks (psychological, social) that are present in them. With this in mind, FUNDACIÓN MAPFRE and the Autonomous University of Barcelona have prepared the study “Comprehensive security in compulsory education centers in Spain”, which provides a general overview of the situation of educational centers, revealing their strengths and weaknesses and consequently allowing us to identify the aspects that need to be improved. This study is not an isolated event. Our Foundation, which has among its objectives the protection of people’s health against all types of risks, among other actions, has been for several years developing the educational program CuidadoSOS in schools in both Spain and Latin America, aimed at students in early childhood and primary education, which aims to promote the prevention of accidents in childhood in the domestic and school environment. This program promotes the adoption of safe and responsible behaviors, involving the family and educators as fundamental pillars in the education of minors. It is precisely in this context that the present study is framed. Finally, I would like to thank the effort made by the EDURISC Research Group, linked to the Center for Research in Risk Governance and the Organizational Development Team of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, especially its coordinator Joaquín Gairín Sallán. I would also like to express our gratitude to the principals and teaching staff of the schools that participated in the study and to all those who collaborated in the preparation of this excellent work, which I am sure will contribute to improving security in our schools.