The government is presenting it as a new step for safety in education: Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that 20 schools in Tirana have been equipped with smart cameras which, according to the official version, provide real-time alerts to institution heads, security staff and the police.
Rama’s announcement after the incident that shook Tirana
Rama linked the launch of this project to the serious incident at a school in Tirana, saying that the existing cameras did not help enough in understanding the dynamics of that tragedy.
Along these lines, he recalled the pledge made after that incident to increase the level of technology in schools and said that this promise has now entered the implementation phase.
The first 20 schools, with a promise of broader expansion
According to the prime minister, the first 20 educational institutions in Tirana have been equipped with the new cameras, which the government considers an additional tool for school administrations, security staff and parents.
He said these are only the first steps in the process and that the project is intended to expand gradually, school by school.
What the smart cameras are claimed to do
According to the explanation given by Rama, the cameras have been installed in the same areas where the old cameras were located, but with an additional function: besides recording, they alert the responsible structures in real time.
According to him, these alerts go to the school administration, security staff and the State Police, with the aim of making the response faster and ensuring intervention is not delayed.
More technology, but no details on standards and oversight
The political announcement emphasizes the effect the technology is expected to have on preventing and managing incidents, but it was not accompanied by public clarification on the system’s technical standards, the method of oversight, data storage or the limits of institutional access.
Likewise, no detailed data have been made public on the cost of this project, the procedures followed, or the concrete timeline for extending it to other schools.
In his statement, Rama presented this intervention as part of the commitment to place children’s safety at the center of public policy.
Beyond the political message, it remains to be seen how this system will function in practice and how much transparency there will be regarding its use in educational institutions.