Role of teachers and Role of School in safeguarding the rights of children

 

è  ROLE OF TEACHERS IN SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS:

Teachers play a critical role in safeguarding the rights of children in schools.

♦ Creating a safe and inclusive environment

› Teachers are responsible for establishing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive classroom environment where every child feels respected, valued, and protected.

› They promote an atmosphere of mutual respect, empathy, and tolerance, ensuring that all students are treated equally regardless of their background, abilities, or characteristics.

♦ Identifying and reporting concern

› Teachers should be vigilant in recognizing signs of abuse, neglect, bullying, or any other form of harm.

› Should be knowledgeable about their duty to report suspicious or disclosures of abuse or neglect to the designated authorities within the school or relevant child protection agencies.

♦ Building positive relationship

› Teachers are responsible for establishing positive and trusting relationships with their students.

› By developing strong connections, they create a safe space for children to confide in them and seek support when needed.

› Building rapport also allows teachers to better understand and address any challenges or concerns that students may face

♦ Teaching personal safety skills

› Teachers should educate students about personal safety skills and empower them to protect themselves.

› This includes teaching children about appropriate boundaries, personal space, assertiveness, and understanding the difference between safe and unsafe situations.

› Teachers can also educate students about online safety, responsible use of technology, and cyberbullying prevention.

♦ Providing emotional support

› Teachers need to be attuned to the emotional well-being of their students.

› They should create an environment where children feel comfortable expressing their emotions and concerns.

› Teachers can offer support, guidance, and counselling if needed, and ensure that appropriate referral systems are in place for accessing further professional help when required

♦ Implementing preventive measures

› Addressing bullying through anti-bullying policies, promoting positive behaviour management strategies, and fostering a culture of respect and empathy among students.

› Teachers should also ensure that classrooms and school premises are physically secure and that appropriate safety measures are in place.

♦Collaborating with colleagues and stakeholders

› Teachers should collaborate with their colleagues, school staff, and external stakeholders such as parents, guardians, and community members to create a comprehensive network of support for students.

♦ Containing professional development

› Teachers should continuously update their knowledge and skills related to child protection and safeguarding.

› Participating in professional development opportunities, attending workshops, and staying informed about best practices and legal requirements help ensure that teachers are equipped to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

è  ROLE OF SCHOOL IN CHILD PROTECTION:

Child protection is the process of protecting individual children from any form of harm, maltreatment or abuse.

    Structures/ Systems to protect children in schools:

♦ Having a Designated Liaison Person [DLP] in place for dealing with child protection.

♦ Having a standard reporting procedures and ensuring that they are followed.

♦Ensuring any child protection cases identified and referred promptly for the relevant services and authorities.

♦ Having procedures for checking staff before they work with children.

♦Having a child protection policy, which includes procedures to be followed if a teacher or other member of the staff is accused of harming a child.

♦Making sure staff are trained to identify signs of abuse, including what to do if they or someone else is worried about child.

♦The school should teach children how to protect themselves. Personal, social and health education lessons to be explained (Risky behavior, appropriate and inappropriate physical contact, dealing with pressure.)

♦ Dealing with suspected case of abuse – If a child is suspected being abused, it should be reported to police or local social services.

♦Preventing inappropriate relationships in schools

♦ Vetting of school staff – Everyone employed in a school is to be vetted by a criminal record check.