Child Protection Committee and Policy

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education

Region II – Cagayan Valley

Schools Division of Cagayan

Gattaran East District

Tanglagan Elementary School

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

I. INTRODUCTION

The development of the standards on child protection in Tanglagan Elementary School is a product of a collaborative works involving a participatory process with the school head, teaching staff, parents and barangay officials. It support actions towards child-focused development and commits itself to this endeavor through the global campaign of “Learn Without Fear” (LWF) with a vision that every school-aged child enjoys his right to education without fear or threats from violence particularly issues on bullying, corporal punishment and sexual harassment.

II. OBJECTIVE

To promote a zero –tolerance policy for any act of child exploitation, discrimination, bullying corporal punishment and sexual harassment.

III. GUIDING PRINCIPLES

1. General Rules

1. The school shall be conductive for learning and children shall have the right to education free of fear.

2. All children shall be protected from all forms of abuse and bullying to develop self-esteem and self-confidence.

3. The school shall advocate a positive and non-violent mode of disciplining children to faster self-discipline and to improve self-esteem.

4. Corporal punishment shall not be imposed on any child in school for the purpose of discipline, training or control.

5. The school shall take steps to prevent bullying and ensure that the appropriate inventions, counselling and other services are provided for the victims.

6. Pupils shall respect the rights of other school children and refrain from committing acts of violence.

7. Parents shall be actively involved in all school activities or events that raise awareness on children’s rights, positive discipline and the prevention of child abuse.

8. Visitors and guests shall be oriented on the Child Protection Policy.

2. Duties of School Administrators, Teachers, Parents/Guardians

a. School administrators, teachers and parents must:

Ø Establish and maintain an open and child-friendly communication with the pupils/ students in a manner in which the pupils would be comfortable talking about their complaints personal problems and concerns, but should set limitations of relations to the pupils.

Ø Be ready to listen to the opinions of pupils regarding certain issues, and be capacitated enough to answer questions,

Ø If an activity, events or ceremony will be held outside the school premises such as field trips, camping, etc., it is important that the school administrations take into consideration the necessity of the activity, accessibility of the venue/s. it is also expected that parents/guardians be informed of the nature of the activity, where it will be held, who would be the teachers and/or school staff present, and how will the students be transported to the venue/s, and be asked for their consent.

Ø Be ready to accept constructive criticisms and reprimand if he/she has in appropriately behaved toward any pupils.

Ø Give equal opportunity to pupils to make statements, presentations and voice their opinions in classrooms, meeting and other venues of discussions.

Ø Always include pupil representatives in discussions that can effect directly or indirectly the pupil’s development in the school.

Ø Initiate or set up activities, organizations and events that will contribute to the mental, physical, and emotional development of the pupils.

Ø Recognize pupils for their personal value or merit, commitment to school tasks or duties and adequately praise them for their effort.

Ø Provide a conductive and safe learning environment for the pupils.

Ø Treat pupil’s individual personal information with confidentially if requested by them, otherwise, if the matter would best be informed to the parents/guardians, the faculty or staff may do so after proper deliberation of what would be appropriate for their best interest.

b. School administrators, teachers, and parents shall refrain from:

Ø Acting in ways that may be abusive or may place pupils at risk of abuse.

Ø Using corporal punishment as a means of discipline, such as but not limited to:

Blows to any part of a child’s body, such as beating, kicking, hitting, slapping, lashing, with or without the use of an instrument such as a cane, shoes, broom, stick, whip or belt.

Pinching, pulling ears or hair, shaking twisting joints, cutting and shaving hair, cutting or piercing skin carrying, dragging or throwing a child.

Use of external substances, such as burning or freezing materials, water , smoke, pepper, alcohol, excrement or urine.

Use of hazardous task as punishment or for the purpose of discipline, including those that are beyond on a child’s strength or bring him or her into contact with dangerous or unhygienic substances, such as tasks include sweeping or digging in the hot sun or rain, using bleach or insecticides, unprotected cleaning of toilets.

Any threat of physical punishment.

Ø Using language, make suggestions or offer advice that is inappropriate, offensive or abusive.

Ø Behaving physically in a manner that is inappropriate or sexually provocative.

Ø Doing or suggesting of doing things for students of an intimate nature that the student could do on his/her own.

Ø Permitting or participating in behavior of students that is illegal, unsafe and/or abuse.

Ø Acting intended to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade students or otherwise commit any form of emotional abuse, such as verbal assault, threats, or intimidations.

3. Duties of Pupils

The policy recognizes that the students have their own duties to perform to contribute to the betterment of their education. The following are expected from students;

a. Students must:

· Be respectful of another’s opinions, ethnicity and religion.

· Comply with the school’s regulations, as long as they are congruent to their best interest.

· Wearing of complete uniforms with ID.

· Participate in and contribute to an adequate school environment.

· Express themselves appropriately at all times.

· Respect moral and physical integrity of everyone within the school community.

· Ensure school facilitates are clean and undamaged as well as any school articles, other devices, furniture or landscape, and to use them properly.

· Know and follow the rules and procedures of school services.

b. Pupils shall refrain from:

· Discriminating or leading a group of pupils to discriminate another.

· Behaving physically in a manner that is inappropriate or sexually provocative.

· Participating in behavior of other students that is illegal, unsafe and/or abuse.

· Abusing and over-asserting their rights on a manner that would evade the school administration from protecting them.

· Marking or damaging school property, including books, in any way.

· Being aggressive or engaging into fight.

4. Duties of the Child Protection Office (CPO)

The Child Protection Office should be incorporated to any available mechanism in the school which handles reports of incident/s abuse.

· Conduct a thorough investigation including interviews with the complainant/s and the alleged offender/s to gather facts about the reported incident abuse.

· Forgave misconduct and abuse, the CPO will assist the child complainant or reporting the deed to the Local Children and or to a social worker of DSWD.

· In child abuse, discrimination and other related cases enumerated in this policy, the identity of the pupil/ student shall be withheld from the public to protect the child’s privacy.

· Enforced approved mandatory necessary but does not violet provisions of the Child Protection Policy and other related department orders. Laws and Regulations.

IV. Composition of the Child Protection Committee

JENALYN V. CABLING JAYSON P. SALES

Teacher Representative Parent Representative

MAUREEN T. CABLING MHAR LIGOT

Pupil Representative Barangay DepEd Coordinator

SHERYL C. SABIDRA

Chairperson