Published in the Official Gazette, the directive requires local education offices and school directors to implement the National Action Plan on preventing violence and bullying and improving safety in educational institutions.

New measures include stricter enforcement of the Teachers’ Code of Ethics, awareness activities against violence, bullying and extremism, creation of “Stop School Violence” corners and anti-bullying teams in every school, as well as monitoring of ethics and discipline committees. Schools will also organize activities on November 21, marking International Day Against School Violence.

The Ministry of Education also called for strengthening the network of coordinating teachers working to prevent violent extremism, and for systematic reporting to regional education offices by May 30, 2026, on all cases of school violence handled by ethics committees. Reports must also include updates on efforts to protect children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The directive reiterates that schools must fully enforce existing legislation prohibiting the use of mobile phones on school premises. School directors are required to include enforcement methods and additional measures in their internal regulations to ensure compliance.

Regional education departments have also been instructed to expand psychosocial services in schools and oversee the fair distribution of free school textbooks for pupils in grades 1–9. Schools must display visible lists of approved textbooks, including titles, publishers, prices, distribution locations, and class-by-class schedules for textbook delivery.

The Ministry said these steps aim to ensure a smooth start to the academic year, improve classroom discipline, and enhance student safety nationwide.

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The Ministry states that a large high quality light oil and gas reserve of around 225 million barrels has been discovered and scientifically confirmed in the Shpirag onshore oilfield.

“Furthermore, the oil quality tests in this reserve have yielded an excellent outcome, with a gravity ranging from 35-37o API (American Petroleum Institute), almost the same premium quality as that of leading countries in the oil market,” the statement reads.

According to the Ministry of Economy, the process finalization and oil extraction currently rests on the very specific geology of Shpirag’s underground and adoption of a very special technology to extract the oil and gas reserves and “that’s why the oil and gas company Shell, experts and state authorities have been consistently prudent regarding the required deadlines.”

“However, amid the disinformation in recent days, the lack of required information or politically motivate malevolence, it is necessary to publicly state the truth that the existing agreement on oil drilling and extraction is into force and the explorations have not been called off in Shpirag. The right technical solution is being sought to exploit an already discovered underground wealth. It is deplorable that some sources of misinformation have rushed to announce the alleged failure of exploration activity in one of the most important oilfields in our country, trying to secure political gains from with this entirely technical process and clearly of national interest,” the Ministry said in its statement.

Work activity is currently concentrated on appraisal drilling at the Shpirag- 5 well, part of the Appraisal Programme of the Block 2/3. A geological survey has shown that it is one of the most difficult and most challenging oilfields in the world.

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