New standardised rules governing student behaviour, searches and emergency responses are set to be introduced across Malta’s schools within the coming weeks.Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the move during a Room4Ideas discussion on education at the MCAST library, saying the new behavioural framework will be introduced across all schools.The measure delivers on a proposal included in Labour’s 2026 electoral manifesto and comes following several incidents which have raised questions about safety in schools, including attacks involving students and concerns surrounding emergency procedures.Abela said the framework will first be discussed with school heads before being finalised and published, with the aim of establishing clearer procedures for educators and students.During the discussion, Abela also announced that grants given to individual schools to support vulnerable children will triple from €10,000 to €30,000.He also pointed towards Malta’s falling early school leaving rate, which currently stands at 8.6%, compared to 33% in 2005, and argued that artificial intelligence should be viewed as an opportunity within education rather than a threat.Will these new protocols make Malta’s schools safer?•