Eastern border | The schoolchildren who were on a nature trip went to the Russian side without permission – this is how the principal explains

Savonlinna The headmaster of the Mertala school and the director of the city’s education department are silent about what happened on Thursday, when students from the Mertala school entered the border zone and even crossed the border without permission.

“This is in the hands of the authorities. They handle, they have an investigation. Of course, I won’t comment further on that,” says the principal Mervi Puukko.

Southeast Finland the border guard announced on thursday afternoon that it had detected unauthorized movers in the border zone.

According to the release, the Border Guard patrol found a group of schoolchildren from Savonlinna in the area, ten of whom had visited the border zone without permission.

“The judgment of the young people had failed in the crowd, and five students are also suspected of illegally crossing the national border from Finland to Russia and back,” the announcement says.

Ilta-Sanomat toldthat the students had filmed a video in which they went around the Russian border post.

Southeastern Finland’s border guard has started a preliminary investigation. The Border Guard said they had been in contact with the children’s guardians and the Russian Vyborg border guard.

Principal Puukon according to that, it was a nature trip to the nature trail on Hiitolanjoi that was part of the school year plan.

“They were on a school trip in connection with that. It was normal activity until then.”

Principal Puukko, would it be fairer to tell everything that happened there? Now there is a doubt that you have not had proper supervision there, when about ten young people have escaped.

“A written plan is always made for such study trips. In that way, the supervision has been sufficient, that there has been a sufficient number of adults there. This side is fine.”

However, Puukko does not agree to send a written plan to HS.

“I don’t really know why I should send it to you.”

Savonlinna director of culture Mikko Ripatti says that the schoolchildren’s unauthorized border crossing into Russia has been investigated and investigated.

According to Ripati, the Border Guard has informed what has happened, and he has nothing to add.

“The matter will be investigated there, and investigations are also underway by the school. Preliminarily, it has become clear that the school has acted responsibly in this regard as it should”, he says.

“There has been supervision, yes. The school has acted according to the instructions, but maybe a little has happened there that the school and the authorities have had to intervene in,” says Ripatti.

Director of Education Ripatti, has the supervision failed when the schoolchildren have reached the Russian side?

“The object itself is very close to the border. The Hiitolanjoki nature trail runs very close to the border zone. There must have been a situation like this, which the school will probably find out, but at this stage we have no further need to comment on what the authorities have informed here.”

Will any measures follow, because the supervision has clearly failed?

“Yes, measures by the authorities are underway and there will certainly be measures and investigations regarding the school. Things are well taken care of by the school. Sometimes these surprising situations come up, but of course we try to do everything we can to prevent them from happening,” Ripatti answers.

“Now we are living in a very sensitive time due to world political reasons that happened. These are the ones that perhaps attract more attention than usual at this time.”