Ensuring your child's safety in school

Sending our children to school not only means passing on to the school administrators and entire teaching staff the responsibility to teach our children good values and nurture the essential skills and knowledge to face life ahead, but also the responsibility of ensuring the safety of our children against posing dangers or threats within the school premises. Because like parenting, securing children is no easy task, however, with the right procedures in school, it might not be as hard as it seems.

When we say dangers or threats, we mean both natural and man-made occurrences that may endanger the school and its students. Natural occurrences are typhoon, earthquake, fire, or flooding, while man-made includes kidnapping and theft, among many others. So how safe, really, are our children in school?


On damaged structures
For Reverend Daniel E. Mariano, spiritual director at Capitol Church Nursery Kindergarten School (CCNK) in the City of San Fernando, La Union, “We do regular check-ups in our school’s premises by our maintenance staff, who in turn directly reports to the principal any problem in the structures or environment that may pose risk for the school. Then the principal calls the attention of the administrator to inform the chairman on the Committee on Properties, Supplies, and General Services for appropriate action and immediate implementation.” Once the stress and the impact are evaluated as dangerous, a suitable warning signage is then posted in the area. In cases when the damage is easily repairable, it can be done outright, Rev. Mariano continues.

On typhoons
The Department of Education’s guide when Typhoon Signal 1 is raised, classes are suspended for pre-elementary and kindergarten students. “So we advice parents and guardians who bring their children in school to take them back home for safety,” Rev. Mariano explains. He also suggests that parents should learn how to monitor the weather, too.

Click here to read more tips on earthquakes and fires, flooding, sending in and fetching students and on suspicious entities.

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Read more tips on flooding, sending in and fetching students and on suspicious entities.

 

On earthquakes and fires
Recently, CCNK had an earthquake drill, to familiarize students, teachers, and even parents around on the route to follow when earthquake occurs. Same thing goes with fire emergency, Rev. Mariano says. “A skeletal route plan of exit is posted at a conspicuous place, for students, teachers, and guardians to familiarize themselves with.”

 

On flooding
Fortunately, for CCNK, they are above sea level, which is why, so far, there is no heavy, unmanageable flooding in the area. If ever it happens, Rev. Mariano assures that classes are suspended, or students are transferred to one of the halls of the Capitol Church as a temporary classroom.


On sending in and fetching students for utmost safety
CCCNK makes sure to ask during enrollment, particularly for new enrollees, the identity of the parent or guardian who will fetch the child. Also, each class in CCNK maintains a logbook in which parents or guardians are required to log in once they bring their child to the classroom and to log out when they fetch them, Rev. Mariano says. In the event that the supposedly authorized fetcher fails to come, a letter of authorization for the temporary fetcher should be addressed to the school. An identification card may also be required for the fetcher. In occasions when the parent or guardian forgets to fetch the child on time, the latter stays with the teacher who should also phone in the child’s parent to call their attention. The guard may also bring the child to his home, if the guard knows the residence. For extreme cases, the resident pastor may also invite the child to his home for the child to get a night rest.


On suspicious entities
“Familiarizing ourselves of the faces of regular fetchers helps a lot, too, in monitoring any suspicious acts,” says Rev. Mariano. Should there be any suspicious act or person, he says the watchman intervenes in the situation and may ask for validation of identity.

Rev. Mariano further explains that, as much as possible, the school premises should not be overcrowded so that there will be easy facilitation of emergency measures when such disasters and threats strike. “This is the reason why there is a particular waiting area for parents, guardians, or fetchers–the Widdoes Hall. We need all the cooperation of everyone to respect, follow, and uphold the policies and procedures of our school to ensure safety, not only of the children, but everyone in our premises,” he concludes.

 

Resource:

Reverend Daniel E. Mariano, Spiritual Director, Capitol Church Nursery Kindergarten School

 

Photo from flickr.com