Veteran School-Safety Experts Call for Clear, Practical Rules to Handle Student Violence

Authors Timo Varpula and Tuomo Myllö say in a press release that Finland's basic education system lacks clear, practical guidance for teachers and principals faced with student violence and other safety dilemmas.

They raise pointed questions about everyday school life: when is physical intervention justified, how much authority should staff have, and how should a child's best interests be determined under the Basic Education Act? There is also a surprising information gap — no reliable national statistics exist on how many threats or violent incidents occur between pupils each year.

The book argues the current regulatory framework leaves front-line staff to make split-second decisions without straightforward legal interpretations. It calls for new regulation or simple, step-by-step models to help professionals act consistently and lawfully while guaranteeing the safety of pupils and staff.

Aimed at school staff, principals, guardians and others involved in basic education, the book warns readers to expect pointed commentary and sarcasm; its goal is to challenge common, often negatively tinged assumptions about schools by exposing the complexity of the rules teachers must follow.

Both authors bring long experience to the topic. Varpula has worked on education and safety issues for more than 30 years and has received recognition for his work, including awards in 2012 and 2018. Myllö has decades of teaching and leadership experience, now serves as a school safety expert for Kangasala schools and works as a private consultant, and received awards in 2018 and 2025 for his work on school safety.