Palandöken: “The safety of our children comes first.”

With the opening of schools, the General President of the Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), Bendevi Palandöken, emphasized the need to pay attention to the safety of school surroundings, stating, “The safety of our children comes first.”
Palandöken noted, “Last week, kindergartens and first-grade students started their adaptation training. This week, the school bell will ring for approximately 19 million students across the country. I wish a fruitful 2024-2025 academic year to all students, teachers, and parents. It is crucial for our children to receive a good education, to reach school in the safest way, and to socialize in schoolyards with peace of mind this academic year. Therefore, especially local authorities and inspectors, along with security forces, should maintain the highest level of supervision around school environments and should not allow any threats to the health and safety of students.”
“Protecting the children, who are the guarantee of our future, is everyone’s duty.”
As the academic year begins, Palandöken issued a security warning for school surroundings, stating, “While our children receive education and prepare for life, measures must definitely be taken for areas right next to schools, especially schoolyards. Care must be taken against street vendors, unhygienic food sellers, and especially poison dealers selling harmful substances, particularly during school arrivals and departures, lunch breaks, and recess hours. These vendors, who pose a danger to students’ health, should definitely not be tolerated. In this regard, responsible authorities, families, school administrations, teachers, school parent associations, and local tradesmen have significant responsibilities. Families should explain well to their children that they should not shop from places other than school canteens without pressuring them. Purchases should be made safely from school canteens, which are constantly supervised by school administrations. On the other hand, parents should be especially careful when dropping their children off at school, closely monitor them, and should not hesitate to report any suspicious situations to the authorities.”
“Pirate school buses should definitely not be trusted.”
Additionally, emphasizing the importance of choosing school transportation for the safe and comfortable travel of children, Palandöken stated, “As you know, the school bus fare tariffs have been updated in the three major cities, namely Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir. With the recent hikes in fuel prices, rising spare part and maintenance costs, and personnel expenses, there is an increase in school bus fares that will strain family budgets. With these fare increases, pirate services may show up more this year. However, our parents should definitely not trust pirate services just because they are cheaper. Because according to regulations, there is a need for auxiliary personnel in addition to the driver in school buses. It is not possible to provide these in pirate services. To ensure that our children can safely reach school, our tradesmen who are registered with the Chamber, hold TSE certificates, have cameras and door sensors, employ assistant guide personnel, use the latest technology in their vehicles, comply with regulations, and meet all legal requirements for providing transportation services should be preferred.”