CCTV cameras, security staff and metal detectors: how educational institutions in Mykolaiv are implementing the updated safety regulations

Cameras, security staff and metal detectors: how educational establishments in Mykolaiv are implementing updated safety rules. Image generated by artificial intelligence

Whenever high-profile incidents occur in schools — whether cases of bullying or even the presence of dangerous objects — the issue of children’s safety once again takes centre stage. Society is once again turning its attention to the question of how to protect pupils. Against this backdrop, in early January, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs approved new security requirements for educational institutions during martial law. From now on, this involves not only CCTV surveillance but also comprehensive measures — mandatory physical security, metal detector checks and the ability to make an emergency call to the police.

NikVesti investigated how these regulations are being implemented in Mykolaiv — and whether schools are ready to comply with them fully.

Tightening security in schools

In early January, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine approved new security requirements for schools during martial law. According to the document, every educational institution must be provided with professional security — this may be staff from the Security Police or a licensed private security company. Security guards will begin their shifts at least 60 minutes before the start of the school day.

Their duties will include regular patrols of the school grounds and premises, checking the functionality of alarm and fire systems, and monitoring access control. In the event of a threat, they will also assist in organising the evacuation of people to shelters.

Safety measures in schools. Illustrations from the Facebook page of the Education Ombudsman, Nadiya Leshchyk

Security staff will have the right to:

• check identity documents;
• search people and their belongings using metal detectors to detect prohibited items;
• detain offenders or persons who are on the premises or within the building in breach of access rules, with mandatory notification of the National Police of Ukraine;
• in cases provided for by law, to use physical force or special equipment.

School staff, pupils in years 5–11 and all visitors to the premises will be screened with metal detectors . The number of metal detectors must correspond to the number of functional entrances to the building.

Requirements for video surveillance

The installation of a video surveillance system is also mandatory. Cameras must operate continuously, and recordings must be stored for at least 30 days.

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The video surveillance system must cover the entrances to the building, corridors, halls, stairwells, as well as assembly halls and sports halls.

However, it is prohibited to install cameras in private areas — in particular, in toilets and changing rooms.

Furthermore, all schools must be equipped with a police emergency call system — a fixed «panic button» or its mobile equivalent.

It is specifically noted that the funding for these security measures cannot be borne by the pupils’ parents.

A camera on an educational building in Mykolaiv. Photo: Mykolaiv City Council

Why strengthen security?

Tightening security in schools today is a necessity of the times, according to the Mykolaiv Regional Education Department. The main aim is to protect children, teachers and all staff at educational institutions from any dangers. During wartime, risks increase: there is a threat of shelling, sabotage, and instances where children may unwittingly bring dangerous items to school. There have already been instances where pupils have brought in grenades or other explosive devices. That is precisely why controlling access to schools and video surveillance systems are no longer just an extra precaution, but a necessity.

Since the start of the year, every educational institution has developed a programme to strengthen child protection. Schools are entering into contracts with the police or licensed security firms.

Alla Velikhovska, Director of the Department of Education and Science at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, explains that all local authorities must now strengthen security at educational institutions. Alarm buttons have been installed in schools and are regularly tested. A police patrol responds to every signal to verify the call. Some schools employ full-time security guards, particularly smaller schools in relatively quiet areas.

Alla Velikhovska, Head of the Department of Education of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration, archive photo: NikVesti

However, safety is not just about physical protection, but also about the atmosphere within the school. It is important for a child to feel calm and psychologically secure. Bullying remains one of the most pressing issues.

Bullying is the systematic insulting, humiliation or aggressive behaviour of some pupils towards others. This can take the form of physical violence (pushing, fighting), verbal abuse and threats, or social pressure – such as being ignored, mocked or having rumours spread about them.

According to data from the National Police of Ukraine, over 230 cases of bullying were recorded in schools in 2025 — approximately 7% more than the previous year. On average, around 33 administrative reports were filed each month, and more than half of these involved minors. Such situations often occur in front of other children, but only a fraction of cases reach the courts.

Police data on bullying: Infographic by OpenDataBot

One such incident took place in 2025 in Ochakiv, Mykolaiv region. There, a 12-year-old boy was systematically bullied by his classmates. The police were informed of the situation on 5 November. Juvenile police officers established that the Year 7 pupil had been regularly subjected to bullying since September.

An administrative report was drawn up against the mother of one of the bullies for the bullying. The school headteacher was also held accountable for failing to notify the police of the bullying in a timely manner. The case was referred to court.

As Alla Velikhovska explains, a comprehensive approach is taken in such cases. During discussions, safety officers explain to children and parents what legal liability is involved and what fines parents may face. Psychologists and parents are informed of the incidents. If necessary, families contact the Children’s Rights Commissioner or the Education Ombudsman. Each case is considered individually, and psychologists work with the children and their parents.

«The problems are typically adolescent in nature. That is why such preventive work is carried out in the upper years specifically to eliminate such incidents. The most important thing is that if a child knows what the consequences will be and how their parents will be punished, and the parents understand this, then such incidents do not occur. The key is to make it clear to children and parents that there will definitely be consequences,» says Alla Velikhovska, Director of the Department of Education and Science at the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration .

The situation in Mykolaiv’s schools

Educational institutions in Mykolaiv are also implementing additional security measures in schools. The city’s education department reports that physical security has been organised for buildings and grounds: security guards and designated staff are on duty, maintaining order, controlling access to the school and preventing unauthorised persons from entering outside school hours. Alarm buttons have also been installed in all the city’s schools — in the event of danger, the signal is immediately sent to the security control room.

Pupils at Mykolaiv Lyceum №55. Photo: NikVesti

In addition, the CCTV system is gradually being expanded: 48 schools are already equipped with cameras. Furthermore, 23 secondary schools in the city have educational safety officers — members of the National Police of Ukraine who work to prevent offences among pupils, help create a safe educational environment, carry out awareness-raising activities, and liaise with school administrations to prevent potential security risks.

A separate issue concerns metal detectors and professional security in schools. At present, such security measures have not yet been implemented in all schools in the city, but work in this area is ongoing.

As of March 2026, in cooperation with the National Police, it is planned to install fixed metal detectors in six schools in Mykolaiv.

As for professional physical security, order in schools is currently maintained by permanent staff — security guards. It is they who control access to the building and monitor the premises. The Department of Education notes that the procurement of services from specialist security firms is not currently taking place due to limited funding and the high cost of such services.

«Cooperation has also been established between educational institutions and units of the National Police of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service and other services to ensure a rapid response to potential security threats. Thus, in Mykolaiv’s general secondary education institutions, measures are being systematically implemented to improve the safety of the educational environment and protect the lives and health of those involved in the educational process under martial law,» the city’s Department of Education reports.

How CCTV cameras work in Mykolaiv’s schools

One component of security is CCTV cameras. Currently, 92 schools and nurseries in the city have cameras. Among them are 48 schools and a further 44 cameras in nurseries. The situation varies from institution to institution; some have three cameras, whilst others are equipped with over 40.

At the same time, 16 schools still do not have CCTV systems. As noted by the Department of Education, 10 of these are operating in-person, whilst the others are operating online.

Cameras in educational establishments in Mykolaiv. Photo: Mykolaiv City Council

To fully meet the city’s needs, approximately 533 more cameras need to be installed. The cost of the project has not yet been determined — it depends on the technical specifications of the equipment, data storage capacity, installation work and the specific features of each site. The Department of Education states that there is no funding available for installing cameras in 2026.

«Due to limited financial resources, no funds have been allocated for the installation of CCTV cameras in Mykolaiv’s educational establishments in 2026,» the Department of Education emphasises.

One of the key requirements of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is that video footage must be stored for at least 30 days. However, most schools in Mykolaiv currently lack the technical capacity for such long-term archiving. Due to limited resources, recordings are typically stored for up to 15 days.

«Safe City» with school cameras

Some of the school CCTV cameras in Mykolaiv are connected to the city-wide «Safe City» system. Currently, 10 educational establishments are connected to this platform — that is 131 CCTV cameras, which help monitor the situation around schools and inside the premises.

These are the following institutions:

• Oleh Olzhych Lyceum, Mykolaiv

• Mykolaiv Lyceum №19

• Mykolaiv Lyceum №22

• Mykolaiv Lyceum №28

• Mykolaiv Gymnasium №32 named after S.S. Kryvonosov

• Mykolaiv Lyceum №34

• Mykolaiv Gymnasium №45

• Mykolaiv Gymnasium №50 named after H. L. Divina

• Mykolaiv Gymnasium №54

• Mykolaiv Gymnasium №57 named after Taras Hryhorovych Shevchenko

The system operates on the principle of decentralised data storage. This means that video recordings are stored directly at the schools themselves, rather than on a single large city server.

«Safe City» CCTV network. Archive photo: NikVesti

Mykolaiv City Council notes that this approach saves public funds — there is no need to purchase additional expensive equipment for a centralised storage facility.

«The system implements a decentralised data storage model. Recordings are stored locally within educational establishments, which avoids duplication of information and unnecessary expenditure of public funds on purchasing additional server capacity for a centralised storage facility,» the city council states.

At the same time, the city council assures that the system’s functionality remains fully intact. If necessary, it is possible to view video in real time or access archived recordings. This is important for a rapid response to potential offences or emergencies.

Who monitors the cameras and how do they respond to violations?

In schools and nurseries in Mykolaiv, staff appointed by the institution’s administration are responsible for operating the CCTV systems. The Department of Education assures that the cameras are monitored continuously.

«Surveillance is carried out 24/7, and in the event of incidents, the relevant video recordings can be reviewed to establish the circumstances of the event,» officials assure us.

Cameras in educational establishments in Mykolaiv. Photo: Mykolaiv City Council

The Department of Education notes that each school has its own internal response procedure should the cameras record any violations — for example, bullying, aggressive behaviour, smoking or damage to property. First and foremost, the school administration records the fact of the incident and establishes the details: who was involved, exactly what happened and under what circumstances. Following this, educational and preventative work is carried out with the pupils, and the child’s parents or legal guardians are informed.

If the recorded actions show signs of an administrative or other offence, the case files are forwarded to the relevant authorities — the National Police, the Child Protection Service or other authorised bodies. It is these bodies that have the right to make decisions regarding administrative liability.

Inspectors from the ‘Educational Safety Service’ department give a lecture to pupils on combating violence. Photo: Mykolaiv Regional Police

At school level, educational measures may be applied: individual discussions with the pupil, involving parents, reviewing the situation at a teaching council or a council for the prevention of offences, as well as placing the child on the school’s internal register. At the same time, educational institutions do not have the authority to impose fines or other administrative penalties — this is the exclusive competence of authorised state bodies.

Safety is a priority

In Mykolaiv, security in schools and nurseries is gradually being stepped up. Some establishments already have CCTV cameras, panic buttons and are working with the police. At the same time, not all schools can fully meet the new requirements of the Ministry of the Interior — the main reason being a lack of funds.

Whether it will be possible to ensure the same level of security in all educational establishments will depend on the community’s resources, which are limited this year. Despite this, the issue of children’s safety remains a priority, especially in wartime.