Ossinovski: No Easy Fixes to School Shootings
Education Minister Jevgeni Ossinovski says there is understandable public pressure to find quick solutions to safety concerns that have emerged with the school shooting in Viljandi, but easy fixes never work.
Ossinovski gave the press an overview of everything that has been done since Ene Sarap, a distinguished teacher of German, was shot dead by her 15-year-old student on Monday afternoon.
The minister said that the authorities have two main priorities.The first is to restore normal working conditions in all Estonian schools, including the Paalalinna school - not easy after such shocking events, he noted. The second is to analyze what can be done to avoid such incidents in the future, although this will have to wait until the police conclude their investigation.
He added that with every passing day he gets more and more questions about what could and should be done differently from now on.
"There is understandable pressure to find simple and fast solutions to this problem. Unfortunately, easy fixes never work. Some schools have set up metal detectors in their premises but this has not stopped people from shooting," he said.
In his opinion, the only solution that works is if each individual takes a responsibility for the safety of his or her community. "This is not just a matter for the police, and still less that of a single school or teacher."
He said that the shooting has brought into sharper focus the question of how much people pay attention to those around them. Even if we notice that someone has a problem, do we know where and how to turn to, and will we do it, he asked.
The minister acknowledged the work of all parties involved in investigating and solving the case.