The Importance of Child Safety in Primary Schools
The Importance of Child Safety in Primary Schools
Frazer Brown – 2024
Keeping children safe in schools should be the number one priority for all teachers and school staff as schools have a duty of care to their students. The issue of child safety continues to become increasingly complex as more children than ever have unmonitored access to social media. The dangers for children go beyond physical threats, therefore schools must respond appropriately through education. The overall goal is that children will feel safe in school and that there are sufficient procedures and guidelines in place to mitigate the risk of bullying and child abuse. Unless a child feels safe in an environment, they will be unable to learn and grow due to fear and anxiety of attending school.
It is essential that teachers and primary school staff are able to create a safe and supportive learning environment within their school in order to foster student’s growth and development. Where a child feels unsafe or unsupported, their learning outcomes will decrease, and the environment will become a hindrance to their academic and overall development. There are many factors and considerations that go into this, including health and safety education, clear consequences for bullying and policies for appropriate student-student and teacher-student interactions.
Schools must approach child safety very seriously and formulate plans and regulations to encourage a safe learning environment. An example is sufficient punishment for bullying and education about what to do when you are being bullied, which could be incorporated into the health education curriculum. Teachers should also provide opportunities within the classroom for group activities and foster teamwork in order to encourage students to build positive relationships with their peers as they are working. If required, explicit teaching about team and group work could be included prior to undertaking group activities.
With cases of cyberbullying ever increasing, it has become as big a threat to student’s safety as bullying in schools. Therefore, online interaction should also be closely monitored where possible by teachers to prevent or quickly respond to cases of cyberbullying. During ICT classes, teachers should be active in walking around and monitoring what the students are doing on the computers to discourage negative behaviours. It is also imperative that schools provide adequate education about how students can remain safe when online and while using social media. Explicit teaching and education about how to use social media safely and how to protect yourself online must be incorporated into the curriculum and school planning. This could be done through workshops, incorporated into the ICT curriculum or inviting guest speakers to share about it. However, to provide sufficient support to children as they use social media, it is paramount that parents and primary schools work together to ensure students can remain safe when online.
Whilst it is the teacher’s responsibility to foster the growth of their students, there must be clear boundaries of appropriate contact and communication to guarantee students’ safety. Guidelines should be made clear around appropriate interaction between students and teachers at school, outside of school and through social media. These guidelines will not only protect students, but also help teachers and staff to remain safe and ensure that there is no opportunity for misunderstanding or questioning of a staff member's intentions with a child. This should be included in a staff handbook, but additional workshops or teacher education could be used if required. These guidelines can include simple child safety steps; staff using different bathrooms to the students, no physical contact unless necessary, especially with students of the opposite gender and prohibit private communication between teachers and students outside of school.
By incorporating these different steps and providing additional education to both students and teachers, primary schools can become a safer environment for students. It is the responsibility of the teachers and the staff to create an environment that fosters and assists students in their learning and growth. Therefore, it is essential that all school staff work together to provide a safe and positive education experience for their students.
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