Child Protection Policy For Teachers And Others

Every teacher is responsible and accountable for the safety of his/her pupils/students.

The school has a zero tolerance for child negligence and child abuse. The following are therefore prohibited:

• Physical Abuse – Flogging,  slapping,  hitting, pinching,  shoving, pushing, biting of pupils/students or threats to do same,  by teachers or other school staff.
• Verbal Abuse- Name calling, negative labelling, derogatory remarks, threats to harm directed at pupils/students.
• Sexual Abuse- Inappropriate  touching of pupils/students and  inappropriate  body contact with pupils/students,  use of endearments eg, ‘my love, my dear, darling,’  using sexually explicit language with pupils/students,  any informal relationship with pupils/students,  viewing  movies or video clips in the presence of pupils/students, except for educational purpose in which case official approval must be obtained from the HOD of the section.
• Emotional Abuse – Stigmatization, shaming, ostracism, prolonged timeout.  Time out can only be used to correct disruptive behaviour among adolescents in the secondary section , and it should not be prolonged for more than  a period of 5 minutes during which the child must stay within the teacher’s view and also close enough to hear and observe the learning activities going on in the class.  Use of timeout is prohibited for learners in preschool and primary school.  
• All forms of bullying of pupils/students by teachers or other staff
• Allowing a pupil/or student to be bullied by others eg classmates or other school mates.
• Handing over a pupil to someone other than their parent /guardian is prohibited. Where a parent requests for their ward to be picked by someone else, the teacher in charge must confirm from the management if the said parent has officially informed the management of such  an arrangement,  and if the parent has fulfilled the specified conditions required for such  a request to be granted by the school. 
• Exchange of gifts between teachers and pupils/students
• Placing financial or material demands on pupils/students
• Visiting pupils/students in their homes without obtaining approval from the management.
• Allowing pupils/students to visit one’s home or inviting them for meetings outside the school premises.
• Participating in or encouraging examination malpractice.- aiding a learner during tests or examinations, victimisation of a learner by under marking them, or aiding a learner by awarding unmerited grades to them. 
• Sending pupils/students outside the school compound either on errands or as punishment
• Giving of lesson notes to pupils/students to copy notes from them.
• Asking pupils/students to copy notes from textbooks
• Dating among staff members
• Sexually suggestive interactions between staff members (verbal interactions including use of endearments, physical contacts including  holding hands, hugs, pecks, kissing, etc.).
• Quarrelling and Fighting Among Staff –  Staff who have disagreements should approach the HOD or any management staff for mediation.  Quarrelling, physical assault  between staff attracts immediate termination without any benefits.
• Indecent dressing by team members and sexually suggestive postures.
• Possession or Use of Psychoactive Substances – Bringing and /or using psychoactive substances within the school premises.
• Disrespectful Behaviour to Parents – Teachers are to show respect to parents in all circumstances and report grievances  against parents to the management through the HOD.  Teachers  and other school personnel are prohibited from exchanging words with parents,  keeping malice with parents or ignoring a parent when they need his or her attention or assistance.    Insulting and disrespectful behaviours to parents  is prohibited and attracts suspension without pay in the first instance and termination  of  engagement in subsequent instance.  

Notes:

• Teachers and other school personnel are to avoid the above abusive  behaviors and also protect their learners  from  being abused  by their classmates and other staff.
• Any pupil/student observed to exhibit bullying tendencies or behaviour towards another pupil/student must be reported to the management through the HOD for appropriate intervention ( punishment which may include suspension and counselling)
• Should a pupil sustain any injury, harm  or any form of  abuse  as a result of a teacher or staff’s  negligence, the teacher or staff in charge of the pupil/student  at that period, either as a class teacher,  nanny , cleaner or teacher on duty will be solely responsible for the costs of treatments , legal  consequences and compensation where awarded.
• To this end, all staff are mandated to attend all child protection /safety training organized by the management from time to time.

STAFF UNDERTAKING

I —————————————————————-do here by state that I agree with the above stated   School Mental Health and Child protection policy and the accompanying rules and regulations,  and undertake  to  comply with same. 

Sign———————————————–         Date ——————————————