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For attention sustaining difficulty

• 2.1 All schools have a responsibility to ensure the safety and well- being of their students. It is particularly important for a school like ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL, to whom parents have entrusted their children in good faith, to be very vigilant in the task of safeguarding the welfare of students.
• 2.2 While ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOLis a closed environment, there is an understanding that children can be guaranteed safety from harm and abuse while within the ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL campus.
• 2.3 All members of the community are expected to uphold their responsibilities for safeguarding the welfare of children. It is especially important that children should be heard in an open and honest way and that they should be aware that any disclosures or allegations they may make cannot remain confidential between the student and member of staff. Thus if a child asks for a promise of confidentiality, it should not be given unconditionally by the adult. This should be clear from the outset.
• 2.4 Despite the fact that ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL is a closed environment during school time, children do go home after the class and the school is not in a position to guarantee a child’s safety during such periods. However, some children are subjected to abuse within families; statistically, children are more likely to be sexually abused, for example, by a family member or close family contact than by a stranger.

3. SCOPE

• The Child Protection Policy has exclusively been formulated for ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL, and it applies to all the members of the ST.ELIZABETH PUBLIC SCHOOL community- staff at all levels (academic, co-curricular, administrative), students, parents and visitors.

4. LEGAL FRAMEWORK

• The policy has been formulated on the basis of the existing laws of the country and the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child that seek to protect children. The following legal frameworks have been the key points of reference:
• The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1991)
• POCSO (Protection of Child from Sexual Offenses) Act, 2012
• Council of Indian School Guidelines for prevention of bullying and ragging in schools (*Extract of D.O. No. 12-19/2012-RMSA-1 dated 8th November, 2016)
• Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
• The implementation of the Policy is overseen and directed by Rev. Manager, St.Elizabeth Public School. Fr. Manager is also responsible for the reviewing and referencing of legal expectations and requirements regarding child abuse.

5. LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR CHILD PROTECTION

• For effective implementation of the policy the team consists of the following members

6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The team provides strategic leadership for Child Protection at St.Elizabeth Public School. Led by the Principal and other Child Safety Officers, this team is responsible for the ongoing monitoring, compliance, review, and improvement of the Child Protection Policy at the school.
• The Leadership Team for Child Protection is responsible for the following:
• Developing school policies regarding Child Protection and Safeguarding while maintaining confidentiality of all case documents.
• Conducting an annual review of compliance and effectiveness of the existing policy every academic year.
• Ensuring safe practices for staff recruitment.
• Scheduling regular mandatory training for staff (in-house and face-to-face).
• Liaising with local, medical, and legal services when required.
• Providing detailed procedures to report, address, and investigate any allegations.
• Ensuring fair proceedings that do not hamper the child’s development or future opportunities.
• Ensuring all staff comply with the code of conduct and Child Protection Policy guidelines at the time of employment and during annual reviews.
• Coordinating with the Admissions Department to ensure students and parents read and sign the Child Protection Policy declaration form.
• Ensuring police verification and background checks for all staff as per the guidelines of the Recruitment Policy.

7. TRAINING

• Staff members are made aware of the procedures for student safeguarding, child abuse prevention, recognition, intervention and reporting. Training sessions are conducted at the beginning of every term.

8. DEFINING CHILD ABUSE

• This policy gives definitions of the widely understood categories of child abuse.
• 8.1 Child care professionals agree internationally that child abuse falls within four categories:
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Neglect
• 8.2 In India the term ‘ragging’ has been widely used in reference to bullying in schools and other institutions of learning. Ragging is a wide-ranging concept most frequently used to describe physical bullying and harassment of students by their peers. The term may however cover aspects of the first three categories in the list above, not simply physical abuse but with elements of sexual and emotional abuse as well.
• 8.3 Extract of D.O. No. 12-19/2012-RSMA dated 8 November 2016 issued by the government which contains broad policy statements, advice and guidance for schools in combating bullying and ragging is contained as an appendix to this policy document and should be read and understood by all teaching, boarding, co-curricular, administrative staff and coordinators in the institution.
• 8.4 Physical abuse covers all aspects of physical punishment, beating, slapping and the use of excessive force against a child. Children may display the external traits of excessive physical punishment, the most obvious being bruises and abrasions on the skin some of which may be old or faded.
• 8.5 Sexual abuse covers all aspects of inappropriate sexual behaviours between children, and between adults and children. Inappropriate touching, observing and displaying of the sexual organs represent sexual abuse. Sexual penetration of a child by an adult or of a younger child by an older child is the most serious example of child abuse.
• 8.6 Emotional abuse can take many forms but the intention behind such abusive behaviour is to belittle the child and to undermine their feelings of self-worth. Emotional abuse can involve insulting behaviours, rejection and withdrawal of emotional warmth, blaming and sarcasm.
• 8.7 Neglect is widely regarded as pernicious lack of care for a child. Often children are neglected as part of a cycle of generational neglect within a family, where good parenting has never been learned or practised from generation to generation. Neglect is often demonstrated through inconsistent parenting, lack of physical care, poor hygiene and nutrition. It is unlikely, but not impossible, that students coming to St.Elizabeth Public Schoolwill have suffered wilful neglect at home.

9. IDENTIFYING ABUSE

• All staff should be vigilant in observing students’ behaviours. It is not a simple matter to identify traits in behaviour and to readily attribute causes. Students who spend a number of years in an academic institution, particularly a closed one, mature and develop naturally and will exhibit differing behaviours as they mature and develop an understanding of their place in the world. Nonetheless, a sympathetic staff member will always be sensitive to the needs of the students with whom they have been entrusted and should be open and available as a first point of contact should they be approached. Staff in the boarding section must be particularly vigilant in assuring that all students are protected from bullying and ragging of any kind. Any incidents must be reported to Counsellors / Coordinators immediately.

10. STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES

• All staff should be vigilant in observing students’ behaviours. It is not a simple matter to identify traits in behaviour and to readily attribute causes. Students who spend a number of years in an academic institution, particularly a closed one, mature and develop naturally and will exhibit differing behaviours as they mature and develop an understanding of their place in the world. Nonetheless, a sympathetic staff member will always be sensitive to the needs of the students with whom they have been entrusted and should be open and available as a first point of contact should they be approached. Staff in the boarding section must be particularly vigilant in assuring that all students are protected from bullying and ragging of any kind. Any incidents must be reported to Counsellors / Coordinators immediately.
• 10.1 There is the possibility that a staff member may be confronted with an allegation by a student. While this is a difficult matter to deal with, the child must be listened to and the allegation investigated by Academic Council members. At no time from the point of allegation to conclusion of the investigation should the student be scapegoated by any adult and due process should be completed in an impartial manner. Clearly, the parents of the child making the allegation should be contacted and involved in the investigation. Such an allegation should not result in the student being sent away from the school summarily in view of the substantial emotional and intellectual damage that such a move would cause to the student. In the event of a false allegation being made by a student against a member of staff, normal disciplinary procedures against the student would be applied. In the event of an allegation by a student being upheld after due process, the member of staff would be subject to instant dismissal and could face criminal charges.

10. STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES AND GUIDELINES

• 10.1 Staff should make themselves aware of their responsibilities towards the students, with whom they have been entrusted. Because they operate within a closed community setting, staff should be aware that their behaviour in relation to students will be open to scrutiny by colleagues and students alike. There is no possibility of hiding abusive behaviour and all staff and students have a duty to report what they see as abusive behaviour by staff and students alike.
• 10.2 Staff should make themselves aware of their responsibilities towards the students, with whom they have been entrusted. Because they operate within a closed community setting, staff should be aware that their behaviour in relation to students will be open to scrutiny by colleagues and students alike. There is no possibility of hiding abusive behaviour and all staff and students have a duty to report what they see as abusive behaviour by staff and students alike.
• 10.3 No member of staff will engage in physical punishment against a student. This includes any form of beating, slapping or use of any instrument to inflict pain on a child. These examples are not exhaustive but constitute physical abuse and criminal behaviour.
• 10.4 Staff should make No member of staff will engage in humiliating treatment of a student. This includes excessive shouting, name calling, humiliating language or gestures. This also includes kneeling, bowing or other unnatural body positions. These examples are not exhaustive but constitute emotional abuse and criminal behaviour. aware of their responsibilities towards the students, with whom they have been entrusted. Because they operate within a closed community setting, staff should be aware that their behaviour in relation to students will be open to scrutiny by colleagues and students alike. There is no possibility of hiding abusive behaviour and all staff and students have a duty to report what they see as abusive behaviour by staff and students alike.
• 10.5 No member of staff will engage in any form of intimate relationship with a student. This includes sharing of personal information including photographs of a sexual nature. These examples are not exhaustive but constitute sexual abuse and criminal behaviour.
• 10.6 Staff should act in a responsible manner at all times in relation to students. On very rare occasions children make false allegations against adults who are entrusted with their care. These false allegations may be as a result of a desire to harm a teacher. What is certain is that whether or not an allegation is subsequently proven to be untrue, the reputation of a teacher can be destroyed along with considerable emotional damage being inflicted on the teacher and his or her family. Therefore, all staff should take steps to protect themselves from unwarranted accusations of unprofessional conduct, including abuse, by acting at all times in a professional manner.
• 10.7 All staff members have been made aware of the Child Protection Policy which specifies roles and responsibilities for safeguarding children. Staff at all levels, are required to sign The Directive and Guidelines for staff responsibilities with regard to appropriate and inappropriate behaviour of adults towards children.

CONCLUSION

St.Elizabeth Public School thrives on its reputation for high standards of academic achievement, encouragement of intellectual growth through innovative teaching and co-curricular programmes of learning. The physical and emotional well-being of students is a fundamental building block in the school’s philosophy, ensuring that students are successful learners, ready to grow into confident individuals who are responsible citizens and effective contributors to their society. Staff members are responsible to protect them from harm and safeguard their welfare.