School safety manual

Tools for teachers

UNESCO Education Sector The Global Education 2030 Agenda

Education is UNESCO’s top priority because UNESCO, as the United Nations’ specialized
it is a basic human right and the foundation agency for education, is entrusted to lead
on which to build peace and drive sustainable and coordinate the Education 2030 Agenda,
development. UNESCO is the United Nations’ which is part of a global movement to eradicate
specialized agency for education and poverty through 17 Sustainable Development
the Education Sector provides global and Goals by 2030. Education, essential to achieve
regional leadership in education, strengthens all of these goals, has its own dedicated Goal 4,
national education systems and responds which aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable
to contemporary global challenges through quality education and promote lifelong learning
education with a special focus on gender opportunities for all.” The Education 2030
equality and Africa. Framework for Action provides guidance for
the implementation of this ambitious goal
and commitments.

Education
Sector
United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization

CBA
The International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, established in 1999,
is the only UNESCO Category One Institute in Africa and is mandated to
strengthen teacher development throughout the continent. The Institute is also
the Teacher Cluster Coordinator under the framework of the African Union’s International Institute
for Capacity Building
Agenda 2063 and the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016-2025. in Africa

Published in 2017 by UNESCO-IICBA, P.O. Box 2305, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The views and opinions expressed in this booklet are those of the authors and do not neces
sarily represent the views of UNESCO or the UNESCO-IICBA. The designations employed and
the presentation of material throughout this booklet do not imply the expression of any opin
ion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO or UNESCO-IICBA concerning the legal status of any
country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning its frontiers or boundaries.

Cover Photo: from UNESCO ED Photo Library

Group Education, Guinea, 2011 ©UNESCO/Noam Assouline

©UNESCO-IICBA
School safety manual
Tools for teachers

IIC/2018/ED/WS/2REV 2
School safety manual
Tools for teachers

Foreword

This manual was produced as part of the Teacher Training and Development
for Peace-building in the Horn of Africa and Surrounding Countries project
and aims to introduce teachers to the knowledge and skills needed for the
establishment, maintenance and sustainment of basic school safety. As
more children are enrolling in school in Africa, creating a safe and peaceful
environment must be a top priority of teachers and educational institutions.

The responsibility of schools to provide a safe environment for their students

has been affirmed in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) four on Education. Target 4.a states:

Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and
gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective
learning environments for all.
(2015, bold added for emphasis)

A school should be a safe space for all students. It should be a place free of
violence and discrimination. Safe schools are a vehicle for disseminating
knowledge about possible risks and conflicts in surrounding areas and how
students can protect themselves from such exploitation. Students are taught
how to prepare for, respond to and rebuild in the face of emergencies. A
school should always be a place where students are safe and protected.

It is a teacher’s responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of students

who are in their charge. They can take pride in the fact that they are well-
versed in safety knowledge and skills. Parents will trust them knowing that
they have taught the students how to be safe and extensively practiced

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 Foreword

emergency protocols in the form of drills. Community members will also be

proud of the school and are more apt to support it when resources are scarce
or when opposition to schooling emerges. By following these guidelines, in
conjunction with formal training, teachers will be ensuring a safe, happy and
healthy learning environment in which they and their students can thrive.

Acknowledgements

This manual was developed under the overall guidance of Dr. Yumiko
Yokozeki, Director of UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in
Africa as part of the Teacher Training and Development for Peace-building in
the Horn of Africa and Surrounding Countries project, funded by the Japanese
government. Ms. Danielle M. Combs and Ms. Beth Roseman were contributing
authors with final edits made by Mr. Mame Omar Diop, Programme Specialist
of UNESCO IICBA, Dr. Martha K. Ferede, Project Coordinator for UNESCO-IICBA
and Ms. Eyerusalem Azmeraw, Project Officer of UNESCO IICBA. Portions of
this document have been adapted from the publications of the Inter-Agency
Network for Education in Emergencies, International Rescue Committee,
Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, Save the Children, Japan
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, UNISDR,
UNESCO, UNESCO IIEP, UNICEF and the United Nations.

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

List of terms
Classroom management: the rules, procedures and daily routines of a
classroom that impact the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Classroom
management can be a top-down approach, where the teacher sets all rules,
procedures and routines, or, ideally it can be participatory in which the
students play a role in establishing classroom norms.

Development: the physical, cognitive, emotional, social and moral/ethical

changes that start at birth and go on into adulthood. Such changes are
influenced by basic care, nutrition, schooling and the social and physical
environment in which one lives. Schooling has the potential to positively
impact development.

Discipline: this term refers to both the guidance and consequences delivered
by a teacher (positive and negative) to their students, as well as the personal
character traits that are cultivated in a student that lead to successful learning
and self-regulation. For the purposes of this manual, this shall refer to the
guidance and consequences delivered by the teacher.

Emergencies: natural and man-made disasters that influence the physical and
mental safety of a community of individuals. Emergencies can include, but
are not limited to, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, war, community violence,
kidnappings and political upheaval.

Fragile state: the state of instability in a community, state, or country that

come before, during and after a man-made emergency occurs. The result of
instability is often a limitation or denial to a group of people the basic human
rights established in the Universal Declaration of Human rights established by
the United Nations in 1948.

IV
 List of Terms

Psycho-social: refers to the interaction between the psychology of the

individual and the social environment to which that individual belongs. This
term acknowledges that the environment and life-experiences of a student
can have major impacts on psychological health and the student can further
impact the social environment of which they are a part. These impacts can be
positive or negative.

Risk factors: elements of a student’s environment and personal psychology

that may contribute to negative psychological impacts or threaten the
physical safety and individual rights of a student. Risk factors can include
living in a seismically-active or war zone, being from an impoverished family,
being a minority, or being female and or being responsible for a large number
of siblings.

School safety: refers to the process of establishing and maintaining a school

that is a physically, cognitively and emotionally safe space for students
and staff to carry out learning activities. This can include procedures for
maintaining a structurally sound building, conducting emergency drills and
having an outlet for students and staff to report abuses or concerns.

Violent extremism: the encouragement and willingness of an individual

or group to use physical, mental and/or emotional violence to achieve a
particular end that are usually politically and/or religiously motivated. This
end is usually connected to a set of personal or group values and beliefs.

Well-being: the overall condition of an individual based on their physical,

cognitive and emotional states. Students and teachers can actively promote
positive well-being in themselves and each other through physical and
mental care for themselves and one another.

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

Table of contents
Unit 1: Basics of school safety............................................................................................. 5
1.1: What a safe school feels like............................................................................. 6
1.1.1: Safe schools have proper plans outlined for emergencies........ 7
1.1.2: School feeding program.......................................................................... 8
1.1.3: School climate.............................................................................................. 9
1.1.4: Safe schools are aware of environmental risk factors...................11
1.1.5: Safe schools are aware of and vigilant in monitoring the warning
signs of abuse...............................................................................................12
1.1.6: Safe schools have proper systems for reporting abuses..............14
1.2: What a safe school looks like............................................................................. 15
Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: safety & well-being of teachers and
students........................................................................................................................... 17
2.1: Classroom setup, procedures and management...................................... 19
2.2: Building relationships with students............................................................ 21
2.3: Positive discipline................................................................................................. 24
2.4: Engaging students in safety............................................................................. 27
2.4.1: Hold a class safety meeting.................................................................... 28
2.4.2: Strategies for more difficult students................................................. 28
2.4.3: Set up a student-led safety committee.............................................. 29
2.5: Teacher’s well-being............................................................................................. 30
Unit 3: Emergency protocols................................................................................................... 33
3.1: Maintaining composure during emergencies........................................... 35
3.2: First aid..................................................................................................................... 37
3.3: School-based emergencies............................................................................... 39
3.3.1: Fires and fire safety................................................................................... 39
3.3.2: Electrical outages...................................................................................... 39
3.3.3: School evacuation.....................................................................................41
3.4: Weather-related emergencies and aatural disasters............................. 42
3.4.1: Drought and famine................................................................................. 42
3.4.2: Storms............................................................................................................. 43
3.4.3: Floods.............................................................................................................. 45
3.4.4: Volcanic eruption........................................................................................ 45

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 Table of contents

3.4.5: Earthquakes.............................................................................................. 46
3.5: Attacks on the school and kidnapping ....................................................... 47
3.5.1: What the individual can do................................................................. 48
3.5.2: What the school can do........................................................................ 48
3.5.3: What the community can do.............................................................. 50
3.6: Aftermath: how to rebuild and promote psycho-social recovery.... 51
3.6.1: Types of stress.......................................................................................... 51
3.6.2: How education can help ....................................................................... 53
3.6.3: How teachers can help.......................................................................... 54
3.7: Violent extremism.............................................................................................. 58
Unit 4: Involving the community......................................................................................... 61
4.1: Forming the committee.................................................................................. 63
4.1.1: Who will serve on the SSC?................................................................... 63
4.1.2: The role of children and youth............................................................ 64
4.2: Identifying resources and gaps..................................................................... 64
4.2.1: What is already being done and what are the assets of the
community?............................................................................................... 64
4.2.2: Where are the gaps?................................................................................ 65
4.3: Safety Risks and community concerns ....................................................... 65
4.3.1: Conducting a risk assessment............................................................. 65
4.3.2: Community concerns............................................................................. 66
4.4: The Action plan..................................................................................................... 67
4.4.1: Developing an action plan.................................................................... 68
4.4.2: Resourcing................................................................................................... 68
4.4.3: Capacity-building..................................................................................... 68
4.4.4: Autonomous organization..................................................................... 69
4.5: Process reflection and feedback.................................................................... 69
4.5.1: Monitoring and evaluation................................................................... 70
4.5.2: Reflection, re-evaluation and revision.............................................. 70
Unit 5: How to create a safety manual for your school................................................. 73
5.1: Your school’s safety manual............................................................................. 74
5.1.1: Purpose of creating manual.................................................................. 74
5.1.2: Steps for creating manuals.................................................................... 75
5.1.3: Considerations in making your manual........................................... 76
References..................................................................................................................................... 77

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 Basics of school safety

Unit 1

Basics of school safety

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

Aims and Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will:

Understand the basic components and considerations of a safe school
Know what to look for to ensure a structurally sound school campus

A safe school is one that ensures the health, safety and security of the learner
during times of normal operation as well as during emergencies. Such a
school is structurally sound and can withstand potential hazards. A safe
school is one that is surrounded by a community that is committed to safety.
This type of school experiences minimal disruption during emergencies
(UNISDR, 2010). Inclusive to such an environment are elements of what a safe
school feels like and what a safe school looks like. While some of the elements
of safety contained in this unit may be out of your control, it is important that
you, as a teacher, are aware of them so that you may advocate for the right to
safety of your students, your peers and yourself.

1.1: What a safe school feels like

A safe school has a certain feeling, that when you enter, surrounds you with
a sense of both calm and excitement. Calm, because you know you are in a
physical, emotional and cognitive safe space that makes you forget about
outside troubles. Excitement, because you can allow yourself to be immersed
in the wonders and challenges of learning and future possibilities. However,
these spaces don’t just magically appear. A person feels safe when they know
their physical, nutritional and emotional well-being is being looked after
through a system of structural and procedural supports that promote their
development. A safe school has mechanisms in place that ensure safety and
continuity through emergency situations, ensure nutritional soundness in
their students and staff, foster a positive school climate and allow for the
anonymous reporting of abuses. The following sections will help you expand
upon these ideals to help foster a sense of security and teamwork amongst
students and staff.

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 Unit 1: Basics of school safety

1.1.1: Safe schools have proper plans outlined for

emergencies
In creating a safe school Activity 1.1: Discuss the following
environment, one of the most with your school team
important aspects is planning. • To what specific risks, threats and
Without proper plans in place, major hazards is our school vulnerable? Are
and minor emergency situations there already regional, national, or local
response plans in place for these that we
can quickly lead to injury, or even must follow?
become life-threatening. Safety • How will specific populations be
plans should be laid out, discussed, affected by crises situations (i.e. girls,
minorities, disabled)?
agreed upon and practiced on a
• What is the makeup of our student
regular basis (to be further discussed
population? How many of our students
in Unit Three). Activities such as this are refugees, IDPs, separated, or orphaned
facilitate amongst staff, teachers and children? How will local emergencies
affect them and what supports do we
students a deeper understanding have in place to address this?
of contextual vulnerabilities. Proper • If an emergency arises and our
school plans follow local, regional infrastructure is compromised, what are
and country-wide established our contingency plans?

strategies and mandates. The • What regional weather or natural

hazards could affect our school?
experience of staff is taken into
• What supplies are needed to continue
consideration and capacity- education? Do we have kits prepared?
building and training takes place as How many should we keep on hand?
needed at the school level (Nicolai, • Who are our local partners who can
assist in emergencies (community
2003). The following are basic
groups, NGOs, UN agencies)?
considerations your school should • How will an emergency (local or
take in ensuring a safe environment. regional) affect our scheduling? Will we
need to move to double shifts? How will
These questions are just a short list class sizes change? Will new staff need
to be hired? If so, what languages will
of considerations in planning for out staff need to be able to speak?
school safety. This guide will expand • What sort of clothing/sanitary items, or
upon some of these considerations food will we need to keep on hand?
as well as introduce others. Source: adapted from Nicolai (2003).

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

1.1.2: School feeding Activity 1.2: School feeding program

program checklist

• How will the feeding program be used?

Feeding programs can greatly
Ex: What meals will be served? Will
contribute to school and classroom students be allowed to take food home
safety. Food is a basic need, that after school?
when not met, can contribute to • Will a feeding program attract more
students to enroll in school? Does
classroom disruption. A review the school have the capacity to
of ten studies by Gailliot (2013) accommodate this? Is additional
training needed?
revealed that hunger has been
• Who will be allowed to participate in the
associated with reduced self- program? Will it be for only the highest
control and impaired cognitive need students, or will all be able to
partake?
abilities. Reduction in self-control
• Does the school have the infrastructure
is displayed through activities to support a feeding program? Where
including: increased sexual behavior, will the students be fed? Is there access to
aggression, prejudice, thoughts water for drinking and sanitary purposes?
• How will this introduction of food be
of death, passivity and increased
viewed by the community? Does the
perception of task difficulty. It community demonstrate a need for the
can be assumed that this could program?
contribute to risk-taking behaviors • How long will the feeding program be
sustained? Will there be a phase-out?
outside the classroom that What are the plans for such a phase-out?
could inadvertently compromise • Are feeding programs being
classroom safety, especially in a implemented by other organizations
nearby? Is coordination possible?
fragile context.
• What food will be provided? What is
available?
When adopting a school feeding • If food is being donated, who are the
program, the following checklist offers donors?
a sample of considerations to be taken. • How will it be monitored?
• Can malnutrition be addressed? Should
Each of these considerations can de-worming be part of the program?
alter the effectiveness of a school • Is there a curriculum on nutrition and
health in place? If not, should one be
feeding program and should
implemented?
be examined before a feeding
Source: INEE (2004, p.51); INEE (2010, p.71).
program’s implementation.

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 Unit 1: Basics of school safety

1.1.3: School climate1

School climate can be defined as the patterns of norms, goals, values,
interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and
organizational structures that work together to create a general “mood” on
a school campus. This mood can be positive or negative depending on how
staff, students and families work together to promote a shared vision of
educational outcomes. Positive school climates contribute to the physical,
social, emotional and cognitive development of the student. Additionally,
positive school climates contribute to the health and well-being of teachers
and staff. The climate of your school can also contribute or pose a threat to
safety. A positive school climate can lead to decreased absenteeism, serve as a
method of risk-prevention and lessen the effects of socioeconomic disparities.
Schools with a positive climate experience less violence, less harassment
and achieve greater academic outcomes. Overall, feelings of safety promote
greater learning and development amongst students and are associated with
less school violence and greater teacher satisfaction.

So how can school staff promote a positive climate? It all starts with positive
relationships. This refers to student-teacher, student-student and staff-staff
relationships. How connected individuals feel to the school and how well
they take care of each other are important factors in building and sustaining
positive relationships. Positive relationships between students and teachers
help to reduce bad behavior. Support from teachers and peers increase self-
esteem and school achievement. Additionally, positive teacher perceptions of
work environment, their own peer relationships, inclusion and support from
leadership/peers minimizes burnout and leads to more committed teaching
force. A positive environment is especially important for racial and ethnic
minorities. Bullying should never be tolerated. Bullying not only has a negative
impact on victims, but on witnesses as well. So how can positive relationships
and connectedness be fostered?

1 The information and suggestions from this section on school climate have been retrieved and adapted
from Cohen, Guffey, Higgins-D’Alessandro and Thapa’s (2013) A Review of School Climate Research.

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

• Consider school-wide activities that promote pride in the school and

learning.
• Sponsor student groups related to teamwork that foster healthy
competition.
• Hold team-building staff development that also increase pedagogical
knowledge and skills.
• Start a school-wide anti-bullying initiative encouraging students to be
advocates and speak out against injustices.

A positive climate is also supported by a clearly defined set of rules and

school norms that are consistently and fairly enforced. These norms refer
to expectations that are set out for both staff and students. When rules are
enforced in an equitable manner, there is less likelihood for victimization
and delinquency. Rules are not meant to be a form of punishment or control,
although there should be positive and negative consequences for abiding by
or violation of expectations and procedures. Rather, the regulations should
be structured and enforced in such a way as to show caring and consideration
for the well-being of all students and staff. Students especially feel safe in an
environment when they know that the adults they are surrounded by truly
care for their individual well-being.

Along with regulatory norms, there should be a defined set of goals and values
for the teaching and learning environment. These should be consistently
applied across the school and in each classroom. Goals should be tangible
and measureable and all teachers should be trained in specific pedagogy that
facilitates the attainment of these goals. Cooperative learning, group cohesion,
mutual trust and respect are values that should be fostered in every classroom.
Such values can also aid in the achievement of goals. Leadership should also
encourage teachers to work together to create better lessons and share ideas
on what works and what does not in teaching and classroom management.

This cooperation amongst teachers helps promote other vital aspects of

positive climate: social, emotional and ethical learning. Adults are always
modeling ethics and values (good or bad), whether they realize it or not.

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 Unit 1: Basics of school safety

Teachers should keep this in mind as they work together on various school
initiatives. Social-emotional learning (SEL) programs can also help to promote
positive ethics. Consider starting an SEL program in your school to help
cultivate a positive school climate. Students can also benefit from service
learning projects that reinforce civic and ethical education with real-life
learning experiences. Allow students to have a say in what kinds of service
projects they wish to engage in. When students have choice in this regard, their
tolerance and acceptance of diversity increases.

Of course, there are many institutional considerations that support a positive

school climate as well. Many will be discussed in the next section on building
and infrastructure, but some are within the control of teachers and do not rely on
maintenance staff. Students tend to perform better in smaller schools. However,
the size of the school is often out of the hands of school staff, especially in fragile
contexts, if schools are hosting refugees/IDPs, etc. In these cases, teachers and
staff can reduce the perceived size of the learning environment by breaking up
the school into smaller learning communities. Smaller learning communities
can also aid in the supervision of campus grounds. Students do not feel safe in
unsupervised areas. Breaking schools down into smaller zones can help mitigate
bad behavior and alleviate supervision constraints.

1.1.4: Safe schools are aware of environmental risk factors

Regardless of how safe and well-managed your school is, children will still
experience risks to their safety and well-being when they are outside of school,
especially in fragile contexts. Safe schools are aware of the risk factors that
contribute to possible violations of rights outside of school and the signs that
students may be in danger.

There are several environmental risk factors than can contribute to ill health,
threaten student safety and lead to psychological or developmental damage.
Your students may be at risk if the community has experienced natural
disasters such as flood, drought, severe storms, seismic activity, etc. Local
and regional conflicts between groups can lead to a loss of community or
family support. Students may even be separated from their families or have

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

lost loved ones. Displaced families experience a loss of structure, routine,

predictability and opportunities for play and recreation. They face dangers
such as military recruitment, child labor, sexual and gender-based violence
and human trafficking. Injuries resulting from landmines can inhibit self-image,
social acceptance and future self-reliance. Strained families may be forced into
crowded accommodations due to loss of income leading to poor nutrition, lack
of health care, poor hygiene and chronic stress. Children in these circumstances
may have also witnessed war crimes, or have taken on the responsibility of
caring for siblings or a disabled parent. Strained family members, or even
children themselves may fall victim to substance abuse. Families may fall back
on traditional gender roles, keeping older girls home to help with household
responsibilities, or putting boys to work. Out of school children are at an
increased risk of abuse and human rights violations (INEE, 2016a).

As a teacher, you should be aware of the circumstances under which your

students are living. Suffering from natural disasters, displacement, or living
in fragile contexts does not always mean that your students will be suffering
from human rights abuses. However, being keenly aware of the home lives
of your students can help you to recognize more quickly that something is
wrong, enabling you to respond appropriately.

1.1.5: Safe schools are aware of and vigilant in monitoring the

warning signs of abuse
When risk factors are present (and even when they are not), school staff
must keep an eye out for warning signs that something might be wrong. It is
important also to consider gender, disability and social status in the community
and amongst peers when assessing signs of distress (Nicolai, 2003). Some
of the symptoms of distress listed here are not signs that are observed in
the classroom. This is why it is important to work as a team with parents and
caregivers. You may only notice one or two troubling symptoms, but parents
and caregivers may notice symptoms at home as well. Keep in mind that
students may exhibit signs of abuse that are outside of their chronological age
category, especially those with developmental delays. The following is a guide,
although not an exhaustive list, of what to look for by age group.

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 Unit 1: Basics of school safety

Age group Possible symptoms

Very Young Children • Anxious clinging to caregivers

(0-5 years) • Temper tantrums
Not able to rationalize what is happening
• Regression, e.g. in speech
around them and not able to understand
development
the concept of death, equating it with
separation. • Fear of going to sleep
• Nightmares and night terrors
• Excessive fear of real or imagined
things, e.g. thunder, monster
Young Children • Poor concentration, restlessness or
(6-12 years) bad behavior in school
Can recall and rationalise events in a more • Anxious behavior including
logical way. They will often use fantasy to hyperactivity, stuttering and eating
deal with a stressful event, e.g. re-enacting problems
or imagining a different outcome. They
• Psychosomatic complaints, e.g.
are more prone to feelings of guilt that
headaches, stomach pains
they have not prevented bad things from
happening. • Behavioural change, becoming
aggressive or withdrawn and passive
• Sleeping problems
• Regression-acting like a younger child
Adolescents • Self-destructiveness and
(13-16 years) rebelliousness, e.g. drug taking,
Have a good understanding of what stealing
has happened and also what the • Withdrawal- cautious of others and
consequences might be. They are dealing fearful of the future
with the emotional and physical changes of
• Anxiety, nervousness
adolescence as well as coping with events
and experiences related to the emergency. • Psychosomatic complaints (physical
pains caused by psychological stress)
Source: Nicolai (2003, p.119).

The presence of one or two of these symptoms does not necessarily mean
a student is being abused. However, if you have suspicions that one of your
students may be experiencing abuse or neglect, or may be in need of psycho-
social services, it is important that you report it right away through the proper
reporting mechanism.

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Tools for teachers

1.1.6: Safe schools have proper systems for reporting abuses

While education can serve as a protective factor in times of protracted
violence or natural disasters, it is not protective when there is a lack of
effective reporting systems for abuse and subsequent consequences for the
abusers (Al Fayez & Valencia, 2016). It is vitally important that mechanisms for
reporting abuses, injustices and inequalities exist at the school for both the
students and staff.

For students, reporting abuses or

Activity 1.3: Discuss the following
concerns in their home, school, or reporting concerns with your
community can be something as school team
small as a box where students can
• Where can we put a box for students
drop anonymous reports, all the way to submit reports anonymously?
to a formal reporting system. It may • Whom should be assigned to handle
be a good idea to have both in place student reports?
(UNICEF, 2009). When abuses are • If a student reports to a teacher or
trusted staff member, what should
reported, they should be immediately
that adult be allowed to say and not
referred to the appropriate local say to the student?
authorities. Any abuses reported • When students report to a trusted
that involve school staff members adult at the school, to whom do the
teachers report? What are the local
should also be investigated by laws in regard to this? Should teachers
school authorities, with appropriate give copies of reports to the principal
protection measures taken. It is or school leadership?
imperative that reporting systems for • To whom do staff members report
harassment inflicted upon them?
children be available in at least one
• If a staff member is accused of abuse
anonymous form. Students should on a student, what steps will be
never face repercussions for reporting taken?
abuses or suspected abuses. • If a staff member is accused of abuse
However, students should also know or harassment on another staff
member, how will this be handled?
that reporting is not a game and they What steps will be taken? Who will be
should be made aware of the harm in charge of mediation, if necessary?
that can come with false reports.

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 Unit 1: Basics of school safety

Students should not be the only ones reporting abuses. Teachers and staff
should be trained to recognize warning signs that a child may have been
harmed or subject to abuse (to be discussed further in Unit Three). Adults
that work closely with children should have reporting mechanisms in place
that address and report abuses in a quick and effective manner. Reporting
mechanisms should comply with all local and national laws. Teachers should
also have anonymous ways to report abuses and should not have to worry
about facing backlash for reporting.

1.2: What a safe school looks like

A safe school is appropriately designed and structurally built to prevent
collapse, damage or other failure when subject to man-made or natural
disasters. “School safety begins with school site selection, disaster-resilient
design and construction from the beginning, or more costly retrofitting for
safety afterwards and continues through building use and maintenance”
(Petal, 2008, p.6). Some of these things, such as school site selection, design
and construction, may be out of your
Activity 1.4: Discuss the following
control. Nonetheless, it is never too safety items with your school team
late to assess hazards, vulnerabilities
• Is the school site itself safe? How
and risks and to create a safer, more can the school site be safe or more
secure school environment, whether secure?
you are new to the staff or a veteran • Are the school buildings themselves
safe? How can the school buildings
teacher.
be made safe?
• How safe are the building’s contents
Consider the following questions
and non-structural building elements?
to determine the level of structural
safety in your school. Source: Petal (2008).

Various evaluation forms can be used for basic visual inspections of a school
building assessing for vulnerability. Below is a sample of a basic school safety
requirements checklist. It can (and should) be adapted to the local context.
Additional items may be added based on the area’s policy requirements and
code compliance.

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Activity 1.5: Basic school safety requirements checklis

Structure
• Accessible school building and classrooms, regardless of physical ability
• School grounds marked by visible boundaries and clear signs, as appropriate
• Appropriate physical structure with adequate space for classes and administration,
recreation and sanitation facilities
• Adequate class space and seating arrangements align to agreed student: teacher ratio
and space per learner
• Wide corridors and exit routes free from obstructions
• Stairways with secure railings
Maintenance
• Includes facilities (i.e. latrines, water pumps, windows, doors, ceiling tiles etc.) and
furniture (i.e. desks, chairs, blackboards, cabinets, etc.)
• Report if anything is missing, broken or damaged
• Adequate lighting
• Manual fire alarm system
• Fire extinguishers
• Clean floors
• Floors without splinters and holes
• Secure, leak proof roofing
• Properly fastened and secure electrical wires
• Emergency evacuation maps posted in critical areas
• Periodic inspection, repair and maintenance of facilities and surroundings are done
Sanitation facilities
• Constructed in a safe, culturally appropriate location to assure their maximum usage
by students and staff
• Adequate and provided, accounting for the different needs associated with age,
gender and special education
o Separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls
o Includes solid waste disposal (containers, waste pits) and drainage (soak pits,
drainage channels)
o Provide sanitary materials for girls, if appropriate
• Soap is provided within or next to sanitation facilities to promote basic health and hygiene
Water
• Access to adequate quantities of safe drinking water available on site
• Access to adequate quantities of water for personal hygiene and cleaning available on site.

Sources: Petal (2008, p.7); INEE (2004, p.47); INEE (2010, p.68-71).

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 Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

Unit 2

Basics of classroom management:

Safety & well-being of teachers and
students

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Aims and Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will:

Understand how classroom management and procedures contribute to safety

Know how to build relationships with students and enforce positive discipline
Know how to involve students in school safety

Understand the risks and warning signs of trauma and abuse

Have acquired strategies for maintaining their own well-being while caring
for others

Safety at the classroom level begins with effective classroom management.

Many potential threats to students’ emotional, cognitive and physical safety
can be lessened through proper classroom management and consistent
procedures. This can be through proactive discipline that helps to avoid
behavioral issues before they start (i.e. procedures and management), or
reactive discipline that conveys caring and promotes understanding. Building
relationships with and getting to know your students is another way to avoid
conflicts and is also important in the development of growing children and
adolescents. It is important to remember that when you do have discipline
issues, they must be handled in a positive manner. Corporal punishment is
not acceptable. Engaging students in the safety process is also vital in creating
proper safety procedures and helps to ensure that procedures are sustained,
even when you are not present.

Students’ safety extends beyond the classroom as well. You may not always
be there to protect your students, but recognizing the warning signs that
a student may be experiencing abuse or trauma outside of school can be
possibly life-saving. Discussing issues such as violent extremism in the
community can also help to ease tensions or fears among your students.
Most importantly, you must consider your own well-being in the process.
Safety begins with you and you can only protect your students when you are
physically mentally and emotionally at your best.

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

2.1: Classroom setup, procedures and management

The first step in classroom safety is effective classroom management and
procedures. Your procedures and management must be consistent. Practicing
procedures (even small ones, such as lining up, or turning in papers) is
important. Students will learn the routine and they will come to know what
to expect. When students know what to expect in the little things, they will
trust your directives with larger safety concerns. You must lead by example.
Children and youth are less likely to respect someone who does not follow
their own rules. Be kind and polite to students and staff. Be organized and
show up on time, even early. Be enthusiastic about your subject matter and
patient with your students as they learn. As a teacher, you will work with a
wide variety of learners who have differing abilities, personalities, learning
styles and dispositions. If you lose your patience with your students, they will
lose patience with each other and may engage in conflict. Be a model of what
patience with others looks like, even with other staff members. Remember,
children are always watching (IRC, 2004).

Basic elements of classroom organization must also be employed. Keep your

class neat and tidy. Arrange desks and chairs in such a way that students can
move easily from one side of the classroom to the other. A student should
never feel “trapped” in their seat. If they have to climb over each other to get
around there is more likely to be conflict and frustration. Ensure that your
classroom seating is also gender and ethnically balanced to avoid favoritism.
Identify all important locations within a classroom from the beginning and
label them clearly. For example: the place where students turn in homework
and late work, group work areas, computer stations, etc. Keep a space for
yourself, too, that is off limits to students. Be sure that these locations are
chosen in such a way so as not to cause overcrowding or bottlenecking (IRC,
2004).

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Activity 2.1: Classroom organization and procedures checklist

• Is my classroom kept neat and tidy? Do all students know the location where they
can dispose of trash? Do I have more than one easily accessible location for this?
• Have I allowed for aisles in the organization of desks in my classroom? Can
students easily get in and out of their seats? Can they seamlessly move from one
side of the room to another in under 30 seconds without running or bumping
into one another?
• If an outsider were to look at my classroom, would they see gender and ethnic
balance in seating assignments? Would there appear to be favoritism?
• How is homework to be collected? Will it be passed forward or sideways?
Will there be a homework, or late work turn in “station”? Is there potential for
crowding in its current location?
• Is the daily agenda and homework displayed where all students can see them?
• Will students pick up their assignments or will I distribute them? What is the
most efficient manner of assignment distribution?
• Are all important items in the classroom labeled?
• Rather than waiting for my direction, what will the students do upon entering
the classroom each day? Write down their agenda? Turn in their homework?
Start a “problem of the day” or journaling activity?
• How should students exit my classroom? What procedures will I teach them?
• How can students help in classroom management? Shall I assign certain duties,
such as passing out or collecting papers, to a single or multiple students?

Source: IRC (2004).

As a staff team, you will also need to agree upon school-wide procedures and
behavioral norms. The following offers a general guide in the establishment of
these structures.

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

School-wide considerations
• Develop norms and expectations for each other as a staff. Hold each other
accountable. There should be clear guidelines and consequences for
punctuality, attendance and acceptable behavior for the environment. Violations
or concerns should follow a chain of command and all staff should be held to
the same standards to avoid favoritism.
• Staff should also be recognized for achievements. Develop a system for rewards
and recognition, such as “Teacher of the Month/Year” and other awards.
• Staff should communicate with parents often. The teachers/parents are a
team working towards the same goal: the education and development of the
students. As such, they should interact regularly towards meeting this goal. If
a student is struggling with learning or behavior, notify the parents/guardians
right away. Do not wait until it gets out of hand a student fails a course.
• When teaching, be sure to diversify your delivery methods. Opt for student-
centered pedagogy. Work as a team with other teachers to develop exciting and
engaging lessons.
• Always plan your lessons thoroughly. Break up your lessons into multiple
activities to keep students engaged. When students lose interest, they are more
likely to misbehave.
• Begin and end class on time. Avoid idle time as this can easily allow for misbehavior.
• Start your lessons with a “hook” that grabs your students’ attention and makes
them eager to learn more.
• Keep all students actively engaged. Do not allow some students to idle or
disengage. This will set an example for all students.
• Discipline individual students privately. Never discipline a student in front of
the entire class, putting them on display. Students will feel the need to save face
and be more likely to argue, whereas a private conversation can go a long way
towards correcting behavior and establishing rapport.

Source: IRC (2004, p. 19).

2.2: Building relationships with students

Building relationships with and between students is an important for
school safety, classroom management and a thriving learning environment.
Relationship-building is also a 21st century skill that is vital in learning to
live with other people peacefully in a multicultural society. A classroom
may be filled with students of various religious, ethnic, linguistic and racial
backgrounds. Teachers should recognize these differences and celebrate

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diversity in their classrooms. The classroom is the best place for students
to learn to share and respect other students (UNESCO, 2011). Students will
feel more comfortable in class when they realize they have more similarities
than differences with their classmates, thus ensuring a sense of community.
Teachers should also get to know their students, not only on an academic level,
but on a personal level. Creating positive relationships with students shows
them that their teacher truly cares about them as a person. As the old saying
goes, children will only care what you know (what you’re teaching) when they
know that you care. Bonding with students will create a friendlier learning
environment and will allow for more creative, individualized learning for the
students.

One of the best ways to build a relationship with a student is to get to know
them. What are their interests outside of school? What do they want to be
when they grow up? How is their family life? Learning all of your student’s
names and even simply asking what students did over the past weekend
serves as a good first step to building a relationship. Do not be afraid to
tell students a little about yourself as well. Students will be more relaxed
and receptive if they are comfortable with you. Do not expect it to happen
overnight. Trust goes both ways and building trust is a process. It will take
time and some students will take longer than others.

“Adolescence is a phase separate from both early childhood

and adulthood. It is a transitional period that requires
special attention and protection. Physically, children go
through a number of transitions while they mature. We
now know that the brain undergoes quite substantial
developments in early adolescence, which affect emotional
skills as well as physical and mental abilities. Adolescence is
also when gender norms are either solidified,
rejected or transformed.”

UNICEF (2016)

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

Adolescent development dimensions

Development Description
dimension
Physical Hit all adolescents, though the onset and pace is irregular. Physical
development changes include rapid growth, improved motor skills and sexual
maturity. As the changes occur, adolescents may feel uncomfortable
or awkward in their own body, be intensely concerned about their
appearance as well as experience mood swings.
Cognitive Refers to the changes in the brain. During adolescence, the brain
development becomes more efficient and effective by developing more complex
abilities, which allow one to think more critically and abstractly.
Adolescents may seem argumentative as they use their reasoning
capabilities or appear self-centered during this stage as they relate
academic content to their own lives. Considering others’ perspectives
and developing a sense of self-regulation and responsibility will come
with time, but usually after experimenting with different choices,
including questionable behaviors like alcohol, tobacco, or drug use,
reckless driving, or unprotected sex.
Emotional This is mainly characterized by independence and identity formation.
development Adolescents are exploring who they are and who they would like to be
while also still trying to “fit in” with their peers. This may result in fluctuating
levels of self-esteem, sensitivity to criticism and emotional stress.

Social Closely related to emotional development, social development relates

development to adolescents’ desire for peer relationships, to belong to a peer group.
The need for social acceptance can lead to positive relationships
which increase feelings of self-worth and led to better emotional
development. On the other hand it could also lead to negative peer
interaction and delinquent behavior if influenced negatively or
rejected by a peer group.

Moral/ethical Concerns the evolution of the adolescent’s sense of values and ethical
development behaviors. They are developing their sense of right and wrong, fairness
and justice and may begin to view moral issues not in black and white,
but in shades of gray. During this time, a sense of idealism may also
evolve as they explore larger ethical questions relating to global issues.

Source: Sackman & Terway (2016).

There are five dimensions that categorize the changes adolescents experience:
physical, cognitive, emotional, social and moral/ethical (Sackman & Terway, 2016).
It is important to understand these interrelated, overlapping categories in order
to meet the needs of your adolescent students (FHI 360, 2016). We will briefly
introduce the five development dimensions here:

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Tools for teachers

Understanding where your students are developmentally will help in

building student relationships, meeting your students’ needs and creating
developmentally appropriate lesson plans. Additionally, it is important to
understand the cultural and family environment in which they live. Students
may have responsibilities outside of school such as caring for younger family
members, farming, cooking, cleaning and other chores. These may impact
the amount of time spent on studying at home. As a teacher, it is vital to
stress the importance of homework and learning outside the classroom.
Parents may not always encourage education as a priority. Teachers should
try to help their students as much as they can balance the demands of their
family responsibilities, cultural expectations and school work. Certain times
of the year, such as harvest season, may increase the number of absences or
incomplete homework. Students should not be punished for their out-of-school
responsibilities. A complete disregard for their educational responsibilities
should not be tolerated either. It is recommended that teachers adjust the
workload as appropriate for the time of year, (i.e. harvest season), or work with
students on individual learning plans if possible.

2.3: Positive discipline2

The classroom should be a space where students feel safe and confident to
share their thoughts and opinions. Positive behavior, growth and creativity
should be acknowledged and encouraged. However, a range of unwanted
behaviors may manifest in a classroom. Poor behavior does not always
need to result in negative consequences. Often times, behaviors are able
to be redirected. When this happens, the classroom lesson should not
be interrupted. Keep a positive atmosphere and try one of the following
redirection techniques.

2 The information in this section has been adapted from INEE’s Introduction to training for primary school
teachers in crisis contexts training pack, 2016b.

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

While it is important to try and use

Development dimensions
proactive classroom management
• Positive Narration: praise the
students who are acting in the
and positive discipline techniques,
appropriate behavior until the there will be times when more
students misbehaving following suit. serious misbehaviors occur. Think
• Sudden Silence + Look: this should
carefully before reacting in these
not completely stop your lesson, but
will require a short 3 second pause- situations. Stop and think about
mid-sentence for a more dramatic what exactly the student is doing
effect- and look at the misbehaving
students (“the teacher look”) and and if they are doing something truly
then continue right where you left wrong or if you are simply tired and
off, redirecting your attention back
do not have any patience left. Try to
to the on-task students. This will not
interrupt the entire lesson and on- release your stress away from the
task students busy in their work may student and class if there is no real
not even notice the pause. If they
do, it shows that you notice when problem. Consider if your student is
students are off-task and the off-task capable of doing what’s expected.
students are aware they’ve been
“caught.”
Re-evaluate your expectations. If the
• Move closer to the Student: simply expectations are reasonable, then
being in close proximity of the assess if your student was aware
student off-task may be enough to
at the time that s/he was doing
get them to refocus. If that doesn’t
work, then try a gentle tap on the something wrong. Help the student
shoulder of the off-task student understand the expectations, why
while you are teaching, without
interrupting your lesson. they are important and how they
can meet them if they did not realize
Source: INEE (2016b).
they were doing something wrong.
In such a case, when the behavior was an accident, the student did not
misbehave. If the student deliberately disregarded a reasonable expectation
and was aware that s/he did something wrong, then the student misbehaved.
Ask the student what their reasons are for doing what s/he did. Be sure to
carefully listen and assess before responding. Please refer to the table below
for some best practices in positive discipline.

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Best practices in positive discipline

Point out the positive. Whenever a student does something helpful, caring,
cooperative, or shows improvement, let them know you’ve noticed and give words
of appreciation. For example, ‘Deng, I was impressed with the way you solved your
homework problem.’
Interact respectfully with students. Treat them as you would like to be treated.
Help them to do better.
Be a guide, not a boss. Be the type of teacher you remember fondly from your school days.
Communicate your expectations to your students clearly and respectfully. Remind
them of your expectations frequently, before the situation and during the situation.
Use humor or distraction. Not every misbehavior that a student commits needs
disciplining. Children, like adults, get tired, frustrated, or bored. Disciplining may
not work in such situations. Try using humor during your lesson to keep everyone
interested, not bored.
Allow for natural consequences, but safe ones. If a child repeatedly comes to
class late, don’t become upset. It is the child’s responsibility to come to class on
time. Tell him/her that if his/her tardiness continues, then you will have to send a
note home to his parents. If s/he continues to be late, send the note home and let
him face the consequences. He learns that he is responsible for his behavior and its
consequences.
Don’t take a student’s disobedience personally. Children need to express
disobedience and they need to test limits as part of their development. Don’t feel
that this is a threat to your authority. React in a calm fashion, applying discipline
that will enhance self-control.
Recognize effort, not correctness. If a student is giving you his or her best, you
should be happy. Trying is the first step in learning even if the child does not get it
right immediately. Let them know that you have faith in their ability.

Source: INEE (2016b, p.711).

If you come to the conclusion that the student misbehaved or after

a redirection technique the student continues to misbehave, then a
consequence may need to be issued. If possible, consequences should
take place in private, one on one and not in front of the entire class. Always
explain to the student why their behavior was unacceptable and warranted
a consequence. The consequence needs to be appropriate. Remember to
stay calm, even if the student begins to argue. Repeat in a calm voice their

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

consequence. It is vital that you do not shout or hit your students. Corporal
punishment- slapping, hitting, caning, or shaking the student, forcing a
student to stay in an uncomfortable or undignified position or to engage in
excessive physical exercise- is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in
your classroom or school. It is also unacceptable for a student to discipline
other students and no teacher should ask this of their students. Corporal
punishment is detrimental to a safe and secure environment. Hitting a student
teaches them that violence is okay and teachers should never condone
violence in any form. Explain to students why their behavior and actions are
wrong and find consequences that do not emotionally or physically harm
students. Don’t forget that the goal is to correct student behavior and promote
an environment of understanding, teaching and learning.

Lastly, remember, it is important to consistently enforce your expectations of

students. This should include acknowledging positive behavior, redirecting
unwanted behavior and treating all students equally. A useful tip to monitor
student behavior during instruction is to continuously move around the
classroom (INEE, 2016b, p. 643). Usually when a teacher is in close proximity of
a student with an unwanted behavior, they will typically stop and begin to pay
attention again and get back on task.

2.4: Engaging students in safety3

Students should be actively involved in forming and implementing safety

procedures. Involving students in establishing and maintaining classroom
procedures and norms helps to foster self-discipline and responsibility.
It will also lead to better execution of safety procedures during drills and
emergencies. Self-discipline in students will generate an internal motivation
to follow and carry out these procedures properly. This internal motivation is
important, as you may not always be able to direct their every move during
emergency situations. The following sections will guide you in through
various actions you can take to engage students in classroom safety.
3 The information and suggestions in this section have been adapted from Marzano, Marzano and
Pickering (2003), chapter six on involving students in classroom management.

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2.4.1: Hold a class safety meeting

Having a meeting to discuss important aspects of safety is a great way to
engage your students and enhance their sense of responsibility to safety.
Introduce important safety vocabulary and reinforce it regularly. By using safety
vocabulary regularly, students will see safety as important and communicate
better about safety issues and during emergency situations. During this
meeting, discuss the rights to safety. Who has a right to be safe? Who is
responsible for safety? What roles does each student carry out in the promotion
of safety? What are the rewards to proactively engaging in safety practices and
properly conducting drills? Create a safety declaration that incorporates rights,
responsibilities and beliefs about safety and display in a visually accessible
place. This declaration could start with, ‘All students and teachers have a right
to_(expand upon safety rights)_. In order to achieve this, a teacher must (outline
expectations together)_. The students must (outline expectations together)_.’
Create a chart of roles/responsibilities of various safety tasks that is also visible.

Ask your students for their own concerns about safety and incorporate them
into procedures. Students may have different concerns about safety depending
on gender, ethnicity, age, or social status within the school and community.
Some may not feel comfortable expressing them out loud. Creating an
anonymous safety feedback form (similar to a form for reporting abuses, as
discussed in Unit One) can help to mitigate this. The form should be written in
child-friendly language and allow for students to express concerns and give
feedback from drills conducted so as to improve implementation. Students
should also be able to report positive observations about safety and recognize
their classmates for good practices. This form should be kept in a space
that allows for anonymous reporting and completed forms should only be
accessible by the teacher or other trusted authority within the school.

2.4.2: Strategies for more difficult students

Students who may have more social or behavioral difficulties than others
can sometimes pose a threat to overall safety (i.e. not following directions,
bullying, engaging in risk-taking behaviors, etc.). Cultivating self-monitoring

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

skills by using brain-based strategies can be helpful for these students.

Teaching these strategies to your more difficult students can aid not only
in classroom safety, but also in following rules and procedures outside of
classroom walls and in society.

The first things to do is to teach your student to recognize when s/he is

becoming angry, annoyed, or beginning to feel any negative emotion and
to stop what they are doing. Actions taken when feeling strong negative
(and sometimes positive) emotions are not usually well controlled. Have the
student think about what various ways there are to respond to the situation.
Considering solutions helps them to regain control. Have them think about
the consequences of each solution. Even a brief examination can stop
unfavorable behavior. Teach them to search for and select the solution that
is most favorable for everyone involved. Most students will select the actions
that produce the greatest benefit to all when taking time to select various
outcomes. Remember, this will take practice. Don’t be discouraged if your
students make mistakes along the way to mastering this technique. Be patient
with them and be patient with yourself.

2.4.3: Set up a student-led safety committee

Allow students to have their own student-governed safety committee. Student
led initiatives reinforce participation and expression that is important for
leadership skills development. A committee like this should have an adult
facilitator, but should mainly be governed by the students. This is especially
good for youth and young adults. Students can decide when and where
meetings will take place and how often (Nicolai, 2003). They can discuss
issues of safety that may not always be recognized by adults. A Student safety
committee can decide when and how to conduct activities such as awareness-
raising campaigns and peer-led training related to safety based on their specific
needs. Sometimes, students can teach each other better than adults. Keep in
mind that adults should be present at meetings and activities for guidance,
compliance and of course, safety.

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“Well-being: a condition of holistic health and the process

of achieving this condition. It refers to physical, emotional,
social, and cognitive health. Well-being includes what is
good for a person: participating in a meaningful social role;
feeling happy and hopeful; living according to good values,
as locally defined; having positive social relations and a
supportive environment; coping with challenges through
the use of positive life skills; and having security, protection
and access to quality services.”

(INEE, 2016b, p.11)

2.5: Teacher’s well-being

When preparing for the safety of the students, other staff members and the
school as a whole, it can be easy to forget your own well-being.

Maintaining your health and well-being as a teacher is imperative to the

learning and safety of your students and school. You cannot take care of
anyone well if you are not taking care of yourself. Following these basic
guidelines for health and well-being will do wonders for your productivity
and effectiveness in the classroom.

Remember, no one will look out for your well-being more than you. As the old
adage goes, before you can fill up the cup of another, your own cup must be
full. Your own needs must be fulfilled before you can go about fulfilling the
needs of others.

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 Unit 2: Basics of classroom management: Safety & well-being of teachers and students

How to Maintain Health and Well-Being

Healthy diet Establishing a healthy lifestyle can help you prepare for and cope
with traumatic events. Be sure to eat a healthy diet containing
plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Drink
plenty of clean, filtered water. Limit the amount of fat, salt and
sugar that you consume in your diet. Keep alcohol and caffeine to
a minimum.
Regular Make sure you make time in your regular routine for physical
exercise activity. Take up walking or jogging. This will help to improve
circulation, strengthen bones and improve cognitive function.
Avoid Avoid tobacco and tobacco products. These contribute to cancer,
tobacco diabetes, asthma and heart problems. Tobacco and tobacco
products also contribute to a reduction in overall health.

Proper sleep Many diseases are known to be associated with a lack of sleep.
Fatigue can even put you at greater risk for accidents at work. It
is recommended that adults get around eight hours of sleep per
night.

Illness Many illnesses can be prevented simply by practicing proper

prevention hygiene. Cover your mouth/nose when coughing with tissue
or fabric (upper sleeve is best when nothing else is available).
Encourage others around you to do so as well. Wash your hands
after sneezing or coughing. Carry instant hand sanitizer if it is
available.
Building You must take responsibility for your physical and psychological
resilience in health to build resiliency. Make time for healthy relationships
yourself with family, friends and community groups. Accept that change
will happen and prepare yourself as best as you can to adapt. Set
positive goals for yourself to keep your mind focused. By building
resiliency, you will be less likely to obsess over problems. You
will feel less overwhelmed and more in control, letting go of a
victim’s mindset. Resiliency will make you less likely to engage
in unhealthy behaviors and reduce your risks for anxiety and
depression.
Source: Lyznicki (2014).

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 Emergency protocols

Unit 3

Emergency protocols

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Tools for teachers

Aims and Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will:

Understand the importance of preparing for emergency situations

Know how to remain calm in emergency situations
Know how to prepare and respond to a variety of natural and manmade hazards
Understand basic pedagogy in fragile contexts
Have learned a variety of psycho-social recovery strategies for those who’ve
experienced trauma

Education is often very limited in times of crisis. Yet, it can play a key role as a
coping mechanism that helps the affected student population regain a sense
of normalcy and obtain additional survival skills and knowledge. Often times,
it is more complicated to maintain regular school activities during conflicts.
There is a greater risk that students, especially those most vulnerable,
will fail to receive an education. It is the responsibility of the government,
communities and NGOs to ensure everyone has access to relevant, quality
educational opportunities in a safe and secure learning environment (INEE,
2010).

Emergencies and conflict can strike at any time. Therefore, schools, teachers
and students must be prepared. The response will be determined by a
number of factors including the capacity of the actors, financial constraints,
regional context and security risks (INEE, 2010). It is vital that everyone is
prepared, knowledgeable of the emergency protocols and ready for action.

Conducting regular emergency drills is one of the most important tools that
schools and teachers can use to develop response capacity skills. Drills provide
interactive learning and create an engaging opportunity to recognize training
needs and develop new reflexes. They may be used for both sudden onset
emergencies and early warning situations.

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 Unit 3: Emergency protocols

Teachers are responsible for the safety and security of the students in their
classroom during an emergency. Therefore, teachers need to ensure that
all students are aware of procedures and ready for any drill. Drills should
regularly be practiced in the classroom. For example, students should know
where to hide in the classroom if an intruder enters the school, how to take
cover during an earthquake and where and how to exit during a fire. Such
basic drills can be practiced at any time and do not require whole-school
coordination. Full-scale scenario drills should be practiced regularly as well.
These are drills which include the entire school and sometimes involve the
greater community. The entire school should practice the drill together so
that separate classes know how to interact with one another in the hallways
and on school grounds during an emergency. These drills may be planned
ahead of time or they may be unscheduled, so you must always be ready and
ensure your class has practiced ahead of time.

Regularly practiced drills should be taken seriously, but drills can also be fun.
Practicing drills can be turned into games. For example, in Japan students
compete in ‘bucket brigades’ where they race to move a barrel of water from
one end of school yard to the other as if they were helping to extinguish a real
fire. These games can easily be incorporated in a physical education lesson,
regular sports day event, or emergency preparedness awareness month
(Petal, 2008).

3.1: Maintaining composure during emergencies

Inevitably, regardless of how much energy is spent in mitigating possible
threats to school safety, emergency situations will still arise. Maintaining
composure during these crises is imperative in preventing injury or death. If
you panic or become frantic, the children in your charge will follow suit and
possible chaos could ensue. Remember, you and your students have practiced
these drills many times. You know what the procedures are, as do your
students. By following these six steps, you can safely navigate any situation
that arises while ensuring maximum preservation of life and health.

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How to keep calm in emergencies

Step 1: Breathe deeply
• Be aware of your breathing. Don’t hold your breath. This can cause a loss of focus,
which is essential in a crises situation.
• Focus on taking long, deep breaths rather than short and shallow ones. This will help
prevent hyperventilation (shallow, quick and panicked breathing) or passing out.
Step 2: Pay attention to the facts
• Timing is key in a crisis. Being able to quickly relay facts to others who needs them
will keep from wasting precious moments that could mean life or death.
• If it is a medical situation, what is the age of the injured, where is the injury and what
type of injury is it.
• If an attack, what are the approximate ages of the attackers, what are some key
physical features, what languages are being spoken and what are some other
identifiable traits? These will come in handy when reporting to authorities.
Step 3: Call for help
• If appropriate, you may need to call for help. Practice dialing numbers on your phone
before an emergency, as your hands may be shaking when situations arise.
• Do not try to handle medical situation on your own if you are not trained. Know your
capacities and the capacities of those who can be useful in an emergency.
Step 4: Speak slowly when directing
• Screaming, crying, or speaking too quickly will make a situation worse.
• Slowing down will waste less time than having to repeat directions several times.
• If you speak too quickly/inaudibly, your students will be confused and may start to
panic, which can cause injury or death.
Step 5: Reassure yourself and those around you
• Remind yourself that it will be ok. You have prepared yourself and your students for
this. You know what to do. The emergency will pass.
• Reassure your students. Offer them words of comfort. Remind them that they have
practiced the drills that will keep them safe. Let them know it will be over soon.
Step 6: Prepare for next time
• There will be life after the emergency and you will need to know what went wrong
for the next time.
• Whether a drill or real situation, make a mental note of mishaps in procedures and
implementation. This will be important in saving future lives.
• Write these things down as soon as everyone is safe and secure. Do it while it is still
fresh in your memory.
• Share with others. Procedures may need to be revised and others will benefit from
your knowledge.
Source: Gerrish (2014).

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Staying calm can mean the difference between life and death in a crisis. By
following these six steps, you will not only keep yourself safe, you will ensure
the safety of those around you. Children will stay calm knowing you are in
control and parents will be likely to keep their children enrolled in school
when they see that emergency situations are handled properly. Future lives
and minds depend on you.

3.2: First aid

All school staff should have a basic knowledge of first aid. Students, staff and
visitors can be injured at any time on school grounds during emergencies,
or during times of normal operation. Knowing basic first aid skills and
procedures is vital to ensuring safety and well-being and could save
someone’s life. The information provided here does not replace formal first-aid
training or certification. It carries no accreditation or recognized qualification,
but rather provides an introduction to essential procedures that all teachers
should know.

Testing your knowledge and skills will help you feel confident and ready to
administer first aid. Outlined below are some basic first aid tips that cover
steps to follow if you find someone who’s unresponsive and not breathing,
choking, unresponsive and breathing, heavily bleeding, having a seizure,
diabetes, or asthma attack. Familiarize yourself with these steps and practice
scenarios with a fellow teacher or staff member. Request a first aid training for
all school staff members if one has not been completed or it has been a few
years since everyone was trained. Remember if you see someone who needs
first aid assistance, stay calm and call for help. The procedures listed below
and your knowledge and skills may save someone’s life.

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Basic first aid tips

First aid for someone who’s unresponsive and not breathing
Key skill: The delivery of chest compressions
1. Check breathing by tilting their head backwards and looking and feeling for breaths.
2. Call emergency services as soon as possible, or get someone else to do it.
3. Push firmly downwards in the middle of the chest and then release.
4. Push at a regular rate until help arrives.
First aid for choking
Key skill: The delivery of back blows
1. Hit them firmly on their back between the shoulder blades to dislodge the object.
2. If necessary, call 999 or get someone else to do it.
First aid for someone who’s unresponsive and breathing
Key skill: Place the person on their side and tilt their head back
1. Check breathing by tilting their head backwards and looking and feeling for breaths.
2. Move them onto their side and tilt their head back.
3. As soon as possible, call emergency services or get someone else to do it.
First aid for someone who’s bleeding heavily
Key skill: Put pressure on the wound
1. Put pressure on the wound with whatever is available to stop or slow down the flow of blood.
2. As soon as possible, call emergency services or get someone else to do it.
3. Keep pressure on the wound until help arrives.
First aid for seizures (epilepsy)
Key skill: Make them safe and prevent injury
1. Do not restrain them but use a blanket or clothing to protect their head from injury.
2. After the seizure, help the person rest on their side with their head tilted back.

First aid for diabetes

Key skill: Give them something sweet to drink or eat
1. Give them something sweet to eat or a non-diet drink.
2. Reassure the person. If there is no improvement, call emergency services or get
someone else to do it.
First aid for an asthma attack
Key skill: Help them take their medication
1. Help the person sit in a comfortable position and take their medication.
2. Reassure the person. If the attack becomes severe, call emergency services or get
someone else to do it.

Source: British Red Cross (n.d.).

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3.3: School-based emergencies

School-based emergencies refer to incidents that originate on the school’s

campus. While there are many that will fall into this category, the highest
priority of these will be fires, as they spread quickly and become deadly in a
matter of minutes. Your school may also experience frequent power outages,
depending on location. Although not as deadly, they can cause accidents and
injuries if not handled properly. School evacuations, may be required due to
threats on or off-campus. Following the safety tips in this section will better
prepare your school team to handle these more common emergencies.

3.3.1: Fires and fire safety

The most frequent safety drill you conduct will most likely be fire drills.
Fire drills should be practiced regularly and reviewed consistently. In the
beginning stages, teachers should be given fair warning of upcoming fire
drills. However, fire drills should also be conducted at unexpected times so
that staff and students become accustomed to responding without prior
warning. When setting up your classroom/building, the following measure
should be taken.

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Fire safety measures

• Inspect exits regularly. Never allow exits to be blocked. When a fire happens, mere
seconds can determine the difference between safety, injury, or death. Time spent
removing blockages could even cause a bottleneck preventing staff and students from
escaping to safety.
• Know the locations of fire safety items, such as alarms, sprinklers and extinguishers
(if applicable). If these items do not exist or are missing, your supervisor should be
informed immediately.
• The alarm for a fire should be different than that of other alarms so that all who are alerted
know immediately and can respond appropriately. A separate, distinct alarm should sound
when it is safe to re-enter the building.
• Each individual classroom/ office should have its own escape route based on the
quickest and most efficient path to safety. Paths should not pose additional hazards
or cause congestion. Each individual route (map) should be posted visibly and
consistently in their respective locations.
• Classrooms should also have their own designated safe areas.
• Order is more important in exiting than speed. Students should stay in single file lines.
Remind your students of this. Disorder can increase the amount of time it takes to
escape greatly.
• Students should remain silent during fire safety procedures. If a student is trapped and
calling for help, talking students may drown out their cries. The only time a student
should talk is to alert an adult that something is wrong or someone is missing.
• Take a copy of your roster with you so that you can account for your students when you
reach the designated safe area.
• Everyone in the school should have a role to play during a fire. For example:
o Teachers should be responsible for relocating their own class to safety and
accounting for their students.
o Administrative staff should have designated sections of the school to which they
are assigned. Each administrator should check with all teachers in their section an
accounting of students and report any missing students to all other administrators
immediately so the missing student can be located.
o One school leader (most likely the principle) could be in charge of giving the all clear
to return to the building.
• Students should have a role as well. This is where the buddy system can come into play.
While students should focus on escaping quickly, safely and in an orderly fashion, they
should also know to alert you right away if their buddy is not in the designated safe area.
• Students who have special needs should be given special consideration. Their exit route
may be the same or different than others. Emergencies should be considered when creating
their daily schedule as well. For example, staff should avoid placing a student with limited
mobility in classrooms that are not on the ground floor as elevators cannot be accessed in a
fire. Have a responsible student or adult as their designated buddy.
• Encourage your students to practice fire safety at home. Not only will they be more prepared
at school, they can actively contribute to the safety of their families and loved ones.
Source: NFPA (2017).

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3.3.2: Electrical outages

It is not uncommon for schools to experience power outages, just as homes
do. Power outages are often more minor situations, but there still must have
clear procedures in place to avoid injury. Some things to keep in mind:

Safety in electrical outages 3.3.3: School evacuation

• Ensure that students remain calm and still. There will be times when you
Do not let them get up and move around as may need to quickly evacuate
their eyes are still adjusting to the darkness.
• Wait for further instructions from your
children from school. Reasons
supervisor. The cause of the electrical for this may vary. As such, your
outage will determine what you and your
students need to do.
method and means of evacuation
• Continue teaching, unless told to do will differ depending on the
otherwise. type of threat you are seeking
o Ensure that backup generators are
available for light and other aspects of to avoid. An alternate location
lessons that require power. will need to be pre-determined.
o Think of how daily lessons can be There may even be more
adapted to a lack of electricity.
o Have several back-up activities prepared than one alternate location,
in the case that you cannot adjust your depending on the threat and the
current lesson to the power outage.
size of the alternate location. Your
• Stay indoors unless instructed otherwise.
Outages may be caused by downed power school and community team will
lines or damages infrastructure nearby
have to discuss specific measures
that could pose a threat.
to be taken during evacuations.
Source: New York City Office of Emergency
Management (2013). Some things to keep in mind:

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Evacuation planning

• Transportation: Will students and teachers walk, or use a bus or other vehicle?
• Will students be transferred to one location, or multiple locations?
• Teachers should be sure to keep copies of their class rosters with them to account
for all students. A buddy system, similar to the one in fire drills, can also help to alert
teachers when a student is not accounted for or has trouble along the way.
• How will parents and guardians be notified of the location change? Will a phone tree
of sorts be established?
• Will teaching continue once students have been moved, will students remain at the
alternate location beyond school hours for their safety, or will parents/guardians be
notified to come and retrieve them?
• Will school continue as normal the following day, will it proceed at the alternate
location, or will remote learning take place?
• Who from the community will be assisting in the evacuation and school continuation?

Ideally, school procedures and safety should allow for students to stay in
the school building. However, preparing for times when staying is not in the
best interest of the staff and students’ safety will help to avoid disruptions in
learning and preserve continuity.

3.4: Weather-related emergencies and natural disasters

Depending on the area where your school is located, you may be subject
to weather-related emergencies or natural disasters. The following section
will guide you through both preventative measures you can take to mitigate
these hazards, as well as procedures and precautions to be taken when
emergencies occur. This section is neither inclusive of all potential hazards,
nor is it a substitute for proper training. Local, national and regional directives
should always be followed.

3.4.1: Drought and famine

When it comes to droughts or famines that affect a school community,
much of the response is beyond the school-level. However, there are several
things that a school can do to prepare and protect against these potentially

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damaging natural processes. The following should is a checklist of potential

strategies that can help your school mitigate the effects of drought or famine
in your area.

Mitigation tips for drought/famine

• Never pour excess water down a drain if there is use for it.
• Be on the lookout for broken or leaking plumbing and notify maintenance or
other school personnel immediately.
• Consider planting drought resistant crops on site to aid in the school’s feeding
program. This can also be used as a tool in teaching a variety of science lessons.
• Consider rainwater harvesting prior to dry seasons.
• During droughts, avoid flushing toilets when possible.
• Purchase instant hand sanitizer for students to use instead of running water.
• If your school has on site laundry facilities, only use washers when they are
completely full.
• Keep non-perishable food items on hand to supplement your school feeding
program during times of famine.
• Be understanding if some of your students relocate for periods of time during
droughts or famine. Have catch-up programs (such as evening, or summer
courses) in place for students who may miss weeks or months of school due to
seasonal changes.
Source: Department of Homeland Security (n.d.a).

3.4.2: Storms
Storms can take on many forms, but there are common characteristics
between all of them that pose a threat to the safety of staff and students. Such
characteristics can include high winds, torrential rains and lighting. When this
is the case, harmless objects can turn into deadly debris. Taking the following
steps can help to lessen the effects of these hazards:

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Basics of storm safety

Before:
• Ensure that there are no dead or rotting trees, bushes, or branches close to the
school that could come loose or detach during a storm and become lethal.
• When storms are in the forecast, move all outdoor activities indoors, or postpone
them for another day.
• Secure all outside items that could blow away or become damaged.
• Keep all students indoors to avoid lightning and other hazards. If you operate on
a rotating class schedule, you may have to skip rotation if students have to go
outside to switch classes.
• Secure all windows and doors and keep students away from glass doors and
windows.
• Unplug electronics that are not in use.
• Keep away from all running and still water as it is a conductor for lighting and
poses a threat of electrocution.
During:
• Do not use any electronic objects that are plugged in, including landline phones.
Power surges from lightning can cause harm to people and buildings. Cordless or
mobile phones are okay for use.
• Do not use plumbing such as running water or showers as they can conduct
electricity if lightning strikes.
• Remain as far as possible from doors and windows until the all clear is given.
• Avoid concrete floors and walls if possible.
• Remain indoors until the all clear is given. Do not stay in an area with tall trees or
other natural lightning rods.
• Stay away from any metal objects as they are natural conductors.
After:
• Remain indoors until the all clear is given.
• Stay away from other damaged buildings and report any downed power lines.
• Be on the lookout for animals whose enclosures may have become damaged
during the storm, putting them on the loose.

Source: Department of Homeland Security (n.d.d).

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3.4.3: Floods
Floods are an extremely dangerous byproduct of heavy rains, deforestation,
improper drainage, other storms, or even tsunamis. Floods carry the potential
for landslides, structural damage and drowning (UNISDR, 2010). It is important
to have specific evacuation procedures laid out for times of sudden flooding.
Schools should closely monitor radios or other media sources for local and
national alert systems to warn of impending floods. Additionally, the following
safety guidelines should be adhered to.

Guidelines during floods 3.4.4: Volcanic eruption

• If there is a chance for impending flood, Volcanic eruptions are some
move to higher grounds before it reaches
your school. This should be a specific of the more dangerous natural
evacuation site identified. All parents disasters that cause a great deal
should be aware of the location ahead of of damage. Burning hot lava,
time to prevent potential loss of life while
trying to retrieve evacuated students. noxious gas and flying solid
• Never walk through flood waters. It only particles are all life-threatening
takes six inches to sweep a person off of occurrences during eruption.
their feet- presumably less for smaller youth.
Hot ash and pyroclastic flows
• Disconnect electrical appliances before
the flood reaches you and do not touch can also incinerate buildings
electrical equipment or water around and human beings on contact
electrical equipment as it could cause
(UNISDR, 2010). Great care
electrocution.
should be taken in preparation
• Shut off main electric or gas sources if possible.
• Avoid even seemingly slow moving
for eruptions if you live in a
streams of water as swift undertows could zone that is prone to this type
be deadly. of geological activity. Consider

Source: Department of Homeland Security (n.d.c).

the following:

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Emergency safety before and during volcanic eruptions

Before:
• Ensure that your school has a volcano emergency kit with the following items:
water, non-perishable food, flashlights and extra batteries and a battery
operated radio for communication.
• Ensure that you have plans for transporting children to a safe location in the
event that geologic activity begins while school is in session and there is no time
for parents or guardians to retrieve their children. Parents and guardians should
all be aware of this location ahead of time and a system for notifying guardians
of evacuation should be in place (see evacuation procedures).
During:
• When the order to evacuate is given by authorities, follow immediately.
• Do not hold classes if there is potential for eruptions in the immediate future.
• Avoid mudflows, which can travel faster than human beings can run. Do not
cross bridges without looking upstream. Do not cross if a mudflow is coming.
• Avoid low-lying areas.
• Be aware of your students who have physical impairments or special needs.
Specific plans need to be laid out for getting these students to safety.
• If evacuation is not possible, remain indoors to protect from hot ash. Keep
windows, doors and ventilation systems closed.
• Put on long sleeves and pants if possible for protection. If you wear contact
lenses, take them out. Keep a pair of glasses handy to put on.
• Put a mask or wet cloth over your nose and mouth to protect your lungs from hot ash.
• If evacuation is not possible, do not leave your shelter unless there is danger of building
collapse. In this case, have another room identified where you will go to ahead of time.
• Avoid driving in heavy ash if possible as it can stir up more ash and clog engines.
If you must drive, stay under 55 kilometers per hour.
• Keep the battery powered radio on so that you may listen for specific
instructions from authorities. Under no circumstances should you leave any of
your students unattended.
Source: Department of Homeland Security (n.d.e).

3.4.5: Earthquakes
When it comes to mitigating the dangers of seismic activity, preparedness
is key. Over half of children who die in earthquakes each year die in school
buildings (UNICEF, 2009). This is not acceptable. There are several steps that
must be taken before, during and after a seismic event.

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Earthquake preparation and safety

Before:
• Pay attention to the non-structural items that are in your classroom. Non-
structural items might include light fixtures, partitions, computers/AV
equipment, or other items that may shift/come loose and cause injury during
an earthquake. Be sure that these items are properly secured by yourself or a
member of maintenance so that they will not pose a threat.
• When practicing drills, tell students to be on the lookout for items or furniture
that could cause harm or injury. It can be empowering for students to know that
they are helping to mitigate structural hazards.
During:
• When the quake starts, all should drop to their hands and knees to keep from falling.
• You and your students should cover your heads and necks to protect your
senses and major arteries.
• If possible, crawl under a desk or table. In your drill procedures this should be
outlined and all students should know which desk or table to crawl under based
on their location in the room.
• Individuals who do not have shelter to crawl under should move away from
windows and close to an interior wall. It is important not be close to any glass,
outer doors, or anything that could fall on someone.
• If you are able to do so, hold onto something until the shaking stops.
• Remember to stay put during the shaking! Do not run outside as there could be
greater potential hazards outside, such as downed power lines, trees, or other debris.
After:
• If a safe path is available, exit the school and go to a predetermined location in open
space. Once there, ensure that all students in your charge are accounted for.
• If you or someone else is trapped, DO NOT MOVE. Wait for professionals to arrive.
Trying to move yourself or someone else could cause extensive injuries.
• Once safe, check yourself and your students for injuries. Do not provide more
than basic first aid on which you are trained.
• If you are near a coast, get to higher ground. Earthquakes can trigger tsunamis.
• Be prepared to take cover again in case there are aftershocks.
Source: Department of Homeland Security (n.d.b).

3.5: Attacks on the school and kidnapping

Attacks on schools, during times of conflict or otherwise, have been identified
by the UN as one of the six grave violations of war and have been condemned
by the UN Security Council (UN, 2014). That being said, attacks on schools,

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kidnapping and military occupation of schools still happen. Prevention

strategies are key in protecting against these dangers. Action steps can take
place at the individual, school and community level. By involving a variety of
actors in keeping schools safe, the potential dangers of conflict can be avoided
and schools can remain a safe space for students and staff.

3.5.1: What the individual can do

Individuals, through small actions, play a large role in protecting against
attack and kidnapping. All teachers and staff within a school should be
required to wear identification tags in some form that are visible at all times
(GCPEA, 2014). If an adult is on campus without an ID tag, teachers and staff
should stop them and ask for it. If they do not have one, they should be
escorted to a registration area where it can be obtained. This will help ensure
that all adults on campus are identified with their purposes known at all
times and prevent unauthorized adults from roaming around school grounds.
Active awareness is key.

Additionally, the coming and going of students should be known and

monitored. A written record of who is authorized to pick up or drop off
children should be kept. If anyone other than the parent or guardian of a child
comes to school to retrieve a student, they should be registered ahead of time
by the parent or guardian. For students who are not picked up or dropped off
by parents, walking groups can be organized with specific pickup and drop
off points (GCPEA, 2014). This will prevent students from having to walk alone,
hence, less likelihood for kidnapping. Precautions such as these are especially
important for female students. Teachers should take similar precautions in
their commute as well.

3.5.2: What the school can do

Schools should also ensure that all staff and students are trained to recognize
potential threats. Students should be fully educated on their rights and
warned against trafficking, exploitation and other potential human rights
violations and how to recognize them (See warning signs from Unit Two).

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Students and staff should be trained to look for signs that something may be
amiss, both on and off campus. Campuses should be adequately staffed so
that there is proper supervision in all areas. In this manner, teachers will be
able to recognize anything that is out of the ordinary and students will not
have to go searching for a teacher for whom to report (UNICEF, 2009).

Having various forms of lock-down procedures in place can also serve to keep
students and staff safe in the event that there is a direct threat during school
hours. During a lockdown, the following safety measures should be taken:

Lockdown safety procedures

• Check to see if there are any students in the hallways and bring them to the
nearest classroom. Do not allow students to leave until the area has been cleared.
• Close and lock all doors and windows. Do not open your doors for anyone.
• Have a pre-established form of communication to alert when students are missing
or when you have additional students in your room so that all individuals on
campus are accounted for.
• In some cases, for lower level alerts, you may continue teaching your class.
• When threats are more imminent, teaching will cease and doors/windows will be
covered so that no one can see into your classroom.
• Move all students to a location in the room where they cannot be seen.
• Do not allow students to use personal communication devices, such as cellular
phones.
• Do not allow anyone to exit or enter your classroom.
• All should remain completely silent.
• In some cases, local authorities may need to check the campus for safety. Have
a visual (not verbal) mechanism for showing that your classroom is clear of any
threat. Be sure that it is something only your staff and local authorities would
recognize to mean a room is secure (such as a colored card placed in front of the
door).
• Have alternate procedures in place for when an emergency happens during non-
class times, such as breakfast or lunch.
• Consider having an established code-word to let staff know when all is safe and
secure. Remember, attackers may try to force school leadership to say that all is
secure when it is not. Having a code-word can prevent staff and students from
leaving their safe spaces prematurely.

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When there are direct perceived threats to a school building, these threats
should be taken seriously. Schools should have pre-established alternate
locations in which to hold classes during times of duress to avoid complete
closure. Additionally, schools should consider various forms of distance
learning to avoid interruption. Phone calls, email, Skype and parents coming
to school to pick up work for students are all options when the student’s’
physical presence in a classroom is not possible (GCPEA, 2014).

3.5.3: What the community can do

There are things that the local community can do to prevent attacks,
kidnappings and military occupation of schools as well. The organization and
mobilization of the community will be discussed in more detail in Unit Four.
However, the following are some examples of how the community can aid in
the prevention of these unfortunate events.

Community participation in preventing attacks/kidnapping

• Consider recruiting unarmed guards to voluntarily stand watch on school

grounds 24 hours per day. Often, just the presence of an unarmed guard is
enough to ward off an attack.
• Enlist community members to escort groups of children and/or teachers to school.
• Create protection committees to warn of threats or coming attacks.
o Establish a “phone tree” or warning chain of sorts to alert all when an attack is
eminent.
o Where phone service is unavailable, community networks can be utilized.
o Ensure that those enlisted in this capacity are trustworthy and reliable.
• Involve local authorities in the protection of schools.
• Have religious, clan and other community leaders with influence publicly
condemn attacks on schools, abductions, or military usage of campuses.
• Identify locations that can be used as temporary learning spaces when the
school building itself is not an option. Homes, community buildings and
religious sites are all possible alternatives when it is not safe to send children
to school. Train volunteers to serve in these locations until schools can be re-
established.

Source: GCPEA (2014).

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The safety of the schools is a community-wide effort. All members of a

community have stand to benefit from the protection of the schools. Simple
steps such as these can go a long way in ensuring that schools remain safe,
child-friendly spaces.

3.6: Aftermath: How to rebuild and promote psycho-social

recovery
No matter how much care in preparation is taken to prevent emergencies,
they sometimes still happen. Your students may also be dealing with stressors
outside of school that can impair their learning in the classroom. This is why
schools need to view themselves, not only as a source of safety, but also as a
source of healing and psycho-social recovery. In times of uncertainty, schools
can be a source of stability for students and teachers can provide a stable
and positive adult-child relationship where there may not be one. Learning
successes help to boost self-confidence in students who’ve experienced
trauma. Sports and art activities can help children to relax and develop a sense
of belonging. Schools should be prepared to provide psycho-social services
to students and teachers can help to support healing in the classroom. When
proper psycho-social recovery practices and services are in place, students are
better able to reach their full academic and social potential (Nicolai, 2003).

3.6.1: Types of stress4

Stress is not always a bad thing in a person’s life. Under the certain conditions
and with the proper supports, stress can be an opportunity to build resilience.
Resilience is defined as the ‘interpersonal, intra-personal and cognitive skills
that help marginalized people endure in the face of often very difficult
circumstances’ (IIEP, 2015, p.19). There are three types of stress that students
experience, each with their own responses required by caring adults. It is
important to remember that in some cases, you may be the only caring and
consistent adult in a student’s life, so understanding these three types of
stresses is vital to your role as a teacher.

4 Information and suggestions from this section derived from INEE background paper on psycho-social
support and social and emotional learning for children and youth in emergency settings, INEE, 2016a.

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The first type of stress, positive stress, causes a brief increase in heart rate and
elevates stress hormones. A caring and responsive adult can help a child to
cope with and navigate the stressor, thus enabling the physical responses to
cease. An example of this kind of stressor could be a difficult school assignment
or missing their ride home. These types of stressors help children learn how to
adjust in difficult situations and contribute to healthy development.

The second type of stress, tolerable stress, is more severe and undesirable, but
is a part of the reality of life in many places. Tolerable stressors include death
of a family member, illnesses, injuries, natural disasters, or even incidents of
terrorism. Once again, supportive and caring adults that help the child to
cope in these situations can alleviate the physical responses to stress and
diminish the effects of psychological harm. The child can enhance their
adaptive coping skills and subsequently regain a sense of control.

The third type of stress is toxic stress, which is when a stressor overwhelms a
child’s undeveloped coping mechanisms leading to long-term impairments or
illness. These types of stressors are frequent and prolonged, causing a longer-
term activation of the stress response system. Often times in these situations,
a positive and caring adult is not available. Examples include child abuse and
neglect. Sometimes the stressors are coming from multiple sources causing
a cumulative, toxic effect. Toxic stress inhibits the ability to learn as emotions
are tied in with cognition. Students are less able to hear and understand or to
remember what they have learned from their teacher or in books.

In this regard, a positive classroom creates the optimal learning environment

for students. The availability of at least one caring adult is a vital protective
factor. Close bonds and relationships help children learn to trust people and
contribute to healthy emotional development. Another protective factor the
classroom provides is a stable daily routine which enables a child to trust their
environment. Throughout this process, resilience can be developed within
children when they are able to draw upon protective factors in their lives to
serve as ‘buffers’ against adversity. Establishing these protective factors is just as
important as minimizing risks.

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3.6.2: How education can help

As stated before, education be a great source of healing in the aftermath
of tragedy. Going to school offers a sense of normalcy, stability and routine
for children. Children are offered a break from harsh realities and are able
to focus on play and successful learning and see hope for a future. Even so,
schools should have systems in place to support students in their recovery
beyond normal classroom routines. Additionally, while schools can provide
psychological support through school counselors, partnerships should be
created with local organizations to fill in the gaps. The following checklist is a
guideline for assessing the needs of your student population and determining
appropriate services and structures.

Psycho-social checklist
General Conditions:
• Were situations of violation of child rights at the origin of traumatic events?
• Have situations of abuse stopped or are they continuing to create a climate of
insecurity for children and their families?
• Are families living together?
• Do they have sufficient privacy?
• What is being done to enable families to live in dignity and provide care and
protection for their children? What more can be done?
• What are the normal activities in the community to assist children who have
difficulties?
• What are the community’s normal mechanisms to respond to and deal with
psycho-social distress? How can they be strengthened and built on?
• How do the general living arrangements and social organization of the
population affect the protection and care of children?
• What measures could be implemented to improve the living conditions of
children and their families?
• Are there persons in the community who could provide regular activities for
children, such as non-formal education, play and recreation?

Continued on the next page

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Parents:
• What is the nature of hardship and stress faced by parents that is affecting their
well-being as well as how they care for their children?
• What measures can be implemented to reduce this hardship?
• Are parents seen beating their children more than is normally permissible within
their cultural framework?
• Are there opportunities in place for parents to discuss and seek support for
distressing difficulties that they and their children must deal with?
Children:
• Are children being provided with inadequate nurture and care?
• What measures might be taken to improve the care that such children receive?
• Are there children who are alone?
• Are there children who are behaving in an aggressive and violent manner?
• Are children provided with culturally appropriate opportunities to talk about
concerns, ideas and questions that they have?
• Do children have the opportunity to play?
• Are the special needs of unaccompanied children, long-stayers in camps and
children in confinement being addressed?
Services:
• Are education and other activities provided so that children are able to participate
in regular development-enhancing activities and re-establish a sense of routine?
• Do refugee adults and children have access to social services to help address difficulties?
• Are systems in place to identify and assist children experiencing psycho-social distress?
• Are training and support being provided to teachers? Are primary healthcare
and other service personnel available to help them better support children?
• Do specialized mental health services exist to which children in severe distress
might be referred?
Source: INEE (2004, p.49); INEE (2010, p.72).

3.6.3: How teachers can help

As a teacher, there are a number of things that you can do to promote
psycho-social well-being in your classroom. First and foremost, ensure that
your classroom is a safe space free from bullying and violence (this includes
corporal punishment). Understand that sometimes challenging or changed
behavior is a response to stress and trauma and not a reflection of the
student’s feelings towards you or your procedures. Do not over punish or

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ignore challenging behavior. Rather, practice patience with your students and
let that be a model to other students on how they should treat each other.
Practice cultural sensitivity and allow the use of mother-tongue languages
(policies permitting) when students are discussing learning activities with one
another (Nicolai, 2003). The following activities can help to promote psycho-
social well-being in students who have experienced traumatic events.

Psycho-social well-being activities

Type of activity Significance

Play Particularly those played within the culture

Sport Especially teamwork, to help children’s self-esteem and
cooperative skills
Oral history Children learn about themselves and the value of
projects different cultures; this also strengthens inter-generational
communication and understanding
Drama Children can explore controversial themes in a safe way
Music, singing Allows for expression, co-operation, affirming cultural identity
and dance
Art Useful to help children express themselves and explore
themes- individually and collectively, does not have to be
intended as ‘therapy’
Writing Stories, poems, diaries, letters- these activities promote literacy as
well as helping children to come to terms with their experiences
Gardening and Developing practical, positive skills and taking pleasure in nature
nature
Source: Nicolai (2003, p.121).

Additionally, you may have students in your classroom who are suffering from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Children suffering from PTSD often
have impairments in cognition and development that can affect their learning
and relational skills. However, as a teacher, you can actually aid in healing
these impairments through best classroom practices (Brunzel et al., 2015). The
following are healing practices that you can do in your classroom.

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Healing classroom practices

Best practice Significance and examples

Teaching self- • Children with PTSD have damaged physical and emotional
regulation regulatory response systems.
• Physical regulation (regulating heart-rate) can be taught
through rhythmic activities such as drumming, exercise, yoga
and other mindful activities.
• Regulation can be taught through identifying difficult
emotions and teaching de-escalation strategies. Students can
also learn to identify emotions of others through reading and
reflecting upon emotion rich reading passages.

Building • Traumatized students often suffer from disordered attachment

strong styles. Inconsistent familial relationships often cause students
relationships to be distrustful of teachers and authority figures.
• Teachers can aid in reparation through exhibiting positive,
consistent regard for a student’s value, irrespective of a
student’s behavior or response to the teacher.
• This requires a teacher’s understanding and control of their
own stress response.
• Consistency and reciprocal interactions are key.

Foster • Fostering positive emotions in daily lessons can improve

positive students’ attentions.
emotions • Incorporate music, decoration with calming and colorful
visuals, adjust lighting and arrange the classroom in such a
way that promotes collaboration.
• Begin lessons with a positive and humorous attention grabber
such as videos, comics, or other media.
• Integrate positive and thought-provoking life lessons on a
regular basis.

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Build • Building upon character strengths increases student agency

character and helps promote the attainment of personal goals.
strengths Remember, talents are different than character attributes.
• Emphasizing identification of character strengths aids in
selecting future pathways and enhances overall sense of well-
being and fulfillment.
• Character strengths can fall into six categories: wisdom/
knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and
transcendence.
• A variety of character strength identity assessments can be
found online. Ex: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.
edu/

Teach a • It is important to remember and acknowledge that trauma-

resiliency affected students are making resilient decisions on a daily
mindset basis that may not be obvious: the choice to come to school,
the choice to attempt homework, navigating relationships
with caregivers, teachers and peers, etc.
• Promote positive self-talk during frustrating situations.
• Introduce resiliency vocabulary and review on a regular basis.
• Encourage students to bring in examples of resiliency in their
own lives or in the lives of their heroes

Foster an • Encouraging students to find reasons to be grateful in hard

attitude of times is paramount in showing that there is always hope.
gratitude • Focusing even on little things, such as a friend’s joke, or
playing a favorite game, helps students build emotional,
cognitive and social resources upon which to draw.
• Keeping gratitude journals and showing gratitude towards
others helps students build strong and empathetic
relationships.

Source: Brunzell et al. (2015).

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Tools for teachers

3.7: Violent extremism5

Sometimes there will be conflict amongst students in your classroom as it is
a natural part of human nature. This can be exacerbated in fragile contexts
or when a community has experienced a large-scale emergency. However,
natural conflicts are different than violent extremism. Loosely defined, violent
extremism refers to the use of a particular belief-system to justify violence
or force against a person or group as a means to achieving a particular end.
Discussing large-scale emergencies in class can be a way of preventing
violent extremism. It is normal to feel apprehensive or be overwhelmed at
the prospect of discussing such things in class. Students also may be afraid
of, or not used to talking about their fears with adults. Several children within
a class may have the same fears, but won’t know it if it is not discussed. In
voicing common fears, children find support they may not have known
existed and will feel less alone (IRC, 2004), thus eliminating the need to join an
extremist group for a sense of belonging.

The following talking points should help guide you in leading a discussion
about things that have happened. Some of these talking points may need to
be adapted depending on the local laws or context. Remember, classroom
activities, especially when dealing with violent extremism, should never
increase the safety risks to children or put them directly in harm’s way.

5 For more information and activities, please see the accompanying Preventing Violent Extremism guide.

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Talking points to discuss violent extremism

• Children want and need facts. Vagueness can be confusing and distressing.
• Allow students to discuss their own theories and ideas.
• Direct students to resources of information and assistance.
• DO NOT ask students to tell their own individual stories or single them out when
you have information about their experiences. That is theirs to share at their own
discretion.
• Let them know that it’s ok to be afraid, confused, angry, or to feel guilty. These
are normal responses.
• Ask them if they have questions. Listen carefully and answer honestly.
• Only answer questions that are asked.
• If you don’t have an answer, be honest. Knowing that you don’t have all the
answers either may make students feel better. Seek out answers when you can.
• Use realistic terms and avoid euphemisms.
• Emphasize:
o Each student is valued and will be supported.
o Set ground rules establishing that no one will be put down for their feelings
or be dismissed when their feelings are different than someone else’s.
o Remind them that school is a safe place.
o Let them know that reactions will vary from student to student and day to
day- this is okay.

Source: IRC (2004).

Community-wide traumas can be a scary thing to think about and discuss. By

creating a classroom support system, you will reinforce that school is a safe
place, both physically and emotionally. This will help contribute to a culture of
peace that can extend beyond the classroom and into the greater community.

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Unit 4

Involving the community6

6 The information and suggestions from this section have been

adapted from The Role of Communities in Protecting Education
from Attack: Lessons Learned, GCPEA, 2014.

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Aims and Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will:

Understand the value added by a school safety committee

Know how to establish a school safety committee and identify risks
Know how to develop and resource an action plan
Know how to monitor, evaluate and revise plans accordingly

One of the most important steps in creating an action plan for school safety
is involving the community. According to Nicolai (2003), doing so is mutually
beneficial and not only improves the safety structures of the school, but also
creates a farther-reaching sense of pride in and ownership of education. For
communities that have been impacted by conflict and other emergencies,
such partnerships can promote community-wide psycho-social healing as
focusing on children and education provides hope for the future. Additionally,
school-community partnerships have the potential to:
• Develop practical skills amongst community members.
• Guarantee that education responds to the actual needs of children in ever-
changing contexts.
• Support teachers and administrators to maintain and further develop a
school.
• Mobilize the wider community for support.
• Encourage parents and guardians to give proper support for educational
activities at home.
• Provide the community with a better understanding of the school, their
activities and approaches to instruction.

One of the best ways to incorporate the community is to form a School Safety
Committee (SSC). The following sections will give you an idea of what to consider
when forming and running a SSC that incorporates the community at large. The
process is as follows:

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Forming the committee → Identifying assets/gaps→ Risk assessment→

Develop an action plan→ Monitor, reflect and re-evaluate

4.1: Forming the committee

Coordination and collaboration between the school, parents and various
local groups is essential to running an effective SSC. A well-managed
and organized SSC can help to avoid any unnecessary waste of time and
resources. When establishing the SSC, you and your team must consider who
will serve on the SSC, what the community assets are, where are the gaps and
what the role of children will be. Considering these factors and elements in
the planning stage will make for much stronger SSC that will aid in the safety
of all students and staff.

4.1.1: Who will serve on the SSC?

The members of the SSC should consist of an appropriate representation
of the greater community. Members from all identified groups, including
minorities, should be represented and there should be gender-balance.
Ensuring that an SSC is representative of the community creates stronger ties
between groups and helps to foster a farther-reaching sense of ownership
amongst community members. Various groups have important insights and
strengths to offer to such a committee and they should be recognized for
their contributions. It is also important to consider those that are helpers
by nature and individuals/groups in whom children trust. Engaging those
with these natural tendencies and abilities will make for a stronger, more
committed SSC, producing more sustainable action plans.

A proper SSC is multi-sectoral in nature, thus ensuring a variety of

considerations are brought to the table. NGOs, religious groups, parent-
teacher associations, youth groups and other community-based organizations
may already be engaged in safety activities. Bringing together members
from various groups can help to improve planning, coordination and
implementation.

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4.1.2: The role of children and youth

When establishing an SSC and its procedures and action plans, children and
youth add great value. Children experience emergency situations differently
than adults and very often see things that adults may miss. Various types of
children may have safety concerns that differ from one another as well (i.e. by
ethnicity, minority group and gender). Therefore, all children within a school
and community should have a role and a voice throughout each stage of the
safety process. Training children to know and advocate for their rights, as well
as providing mechanisms to report potential abuses (as discussed in Unit
One) should be a part of any action plan. Children themselves are a valuable
resource as well as they have the potential to teach, lead and influence each
other in positive ways. Many aspects of an action plan can be adapted in age-
appropriate ways that engage children and youth in the safety process (as seen
in Unit Two). The following checklist can aid in the creation of your school’s SSC.

Activity 4.1: SSC member checklist 4.2: Identifying resources

• School board/school leadership and gaps
• Teachers and other staff
Once all of these steps are completed,
• Gender balance
• Representatives of minority groups it is time to begin allocating resources.
• Members of local community groups The following sections will help you
• NGO employees or volunteers choose the best use of your resources
• Religious leaders
so as to be as efficient as possible
• Influential community members
• Youth representatives without sacrificing quality.
• Parents
• Business owners 4.2.1: What is already being
• Local law enforcement
done and what are the assets
Source: GCPEA (2014). of the community?
Often times, schools have a limited supply of resources. Therefore, it is important
to recognize what is already being done as far as safety within the community
to avoid duplication and waste. Consider all of your assets and engage in
resource-mapping activities. Existing resources within the school, community
organizations and parent-teacher groups should be laid out. All types of resources

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should be considered. This can include money, building space and volunteers/
staff. Leaders and influential individuals within a community are resources
as well. Influential people and leaders can greatly contribute to school safety
through public support and group mobilization. They can also be mechanisms for
spreading vital information and educating on the importance of education and
ensuring that schools are seen as safe-zones.

4.2.2: Where are the gaps?

In the beginning stages of establishing a SSC and identifying resources, gaps
will inevitably be identified. Do not overlook or ignore these gaps! Doing so
could put the schools, their staff and the children in attendance at great risk.
Rather, these gaps should be seen as opportunities for further collaboration
and discussion amongst various stakeholders. Can one, or multiple groups
address the gaps? Do additional members need to be recruited? Does
capacity-building or training need to take place? These gaps should be
viewed as the responsibility of all members of the SSC until resolved, thus
eliminating the potential for holes in safety to remain unfilled.

4.3: Safety risks and community concerns

Once your SSC has been established, children have been included and
community assets and gaps have been identified, it is time to take stock of
the risks that are facing the school. These risks can be both from the outside
and within. Luckily, you have created a well representative SSC, so all of these
threats and hazards will be recognized. Examining all potential risks and taking
into consideration all community concerns, not just those of school staff, will
ensure a more well-rounded view of school safety.

4.3.1: Conducting a risk assessment

Before any action plans are drawn up, the SSC should thoroughly examine
the current situation in the form of a risk assessment. Risk assessments should
address a variety of areas. The following is a list of questions that should
be asked in this stage. This list can be expanded upon or adapted to your
context.

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Once risks and threats have been

Activity 4.2: Risk assessment
questions thoroughly explored and identified,
the likelihood of being affected by
• What are the specific threats posed
to children? them should be discussed and the
• Haw are various groups of children degree of damage that they could do
affected differently (e.g. girls, should be examined. This will help
minorities, disabled)?
to organize in terms of importance
• What risks are faced by the school staff?
• What types of threats are posed to when developing the action plan.
participating community members? This does not mean that some threats
• Do certain school activities increase risk? should be ignored. However, priority
• Does the school’s infrastructure is helpful when allocating resources
pose certain hazards that need to be
addressed? and determining the volume and
• What are some of the environment/ frequency of drills.
weather-related hazards of the region?
• Are there existing tensions/conflicts When determining potential risks,
between various groups within the especially in a fragile context,
community that could pose a threat?
identifying points of tension
• Does the current political/social
context pose potential threats? and conflict between groups or
individuals can be a delicate process.
Source: GCPEA (2014).
Building social cohesion can be
helpful in terms of focusing a community on educational priorities. Activities
that create social cohesion could help to mitigate potential threats. If conflict-
resolution activities are necessary as well, untrained staff members should
not attempt these on their own. Doing so may pose additional threats to
safety. While the school may play a role in social cohesion activities, conflict-
resolution should always be conducted by trained professionals. Such
professionals should be identified during the resource-mapping process.

4.3.2: Community concerns

While an SSC that is well representative of the community will bring many
areas of concern into focus, even the best SSC will not be able to identify
all fears that are felt by the greater community. Having a platform where
community members can voice concerns can help to remedy this. The

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existence of such platforms can help in gaining support from the community
and make them more likely to engage and offer support during times of
resource scarcity. Concerns for children and education may include activities
surrounding food and water provision, shelter and healthcare. While
these issues may not directly affect safety, they may have indirect effects
and addressing them will build trust and breakdown barriers between
the school and community. Platforms for discussion can be in the form of
community meetings, focus groups, or regular key informant interviews.
While appropriate methodology may vary with context, it is imperative that
all community members are made aware of how they can voice their concerns
and that their concerns are consistently reviewed.

Remember when your SSC is addressing community concerns that students

are part of the community. While it may not be appropriate to include children
in school board-type meetings, there are developmentally appropriate ways
to ensure that children’s concerns are addressed and included within an SSC
action plan. Engaging students in safety is discussed in Unit Two, however
some additional examples include: discussion groups, role-playing, games,
youth group activities, etc. However, allowing children to voice their concerns
should not be done in a way that would put them at further risk. Some
activities may draw negative attention from opposition groups. Ensure that
proper safety measures are taken during any activity in which your school
engages. As always, allow for anonymous mechanisms through which students
may voice concerns without the threat of repercussions.

4.4: The action plan

Once an SSC is formed, a risk assessment has been completed and all
stakeholder concerns have been brought to the table, it is time to form an
action plan. The action plan will reflect all of these areas and must be strictly
followed. Additional resourcing and capacity-building may be needed. Outside
groups may want to autonomously form to ensure safety as well. It is important
that in this stage, as in the others, the safety of students and staff remains the
top priority and is not overshadowed by other factors.

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4.4.1: Developing an action plan

Since the SSC is multi-sectoral and representative of all community groups,
the action plan will reflect this. Responsibilities will extend beyond teachers
and staff. It will address all threats identified, with no stone left unturned. It
will also include regular, community-wide drills that will involve all parties to
the action plan. Practice is imperative to ensure that all kinks are worked out
and security measures become second-nature. While adjusting the plan based
on evaluation and feedback is important, veering too far from this action plan
could be detrimental in maintaining the trust of the community, especially
when stakeholders are not involved in, or informed of changes. Transparency
is key in the forming and reforming of an action plan- especially in politically
sensitive contexts.

4.4.2: Resourcing
When making decisions on resource allocation, the initial resource mapping,
gap identification and risk assessment should be revisited. Resource allocation
should be mutually agreed upon by all members of the SSC. Resources may
come in the form of voluntary time, transportation, infrastructure, management
and coordination activities and monetary gifts. All community groups and
participating members should be recognized and valued for resources they
provide. Community contributions are especially important when educational
endeavors are underfunded. Additionally, ensuring equity in remuneration
across ethnicities, genders and minorities will help to ensure continued support
and avoid conflict. It can also help sustain safety mechanisms in times when
payment is not possible and volunteers need to be relied upon.

4.4.3: Capacity-building
In your risk assessment, or in your identified gaps, you may find areas where
capacity-building and training is needed. Do members and volunteers know
what warning signs to look for when preventing emergencies or minimizing
risks? Are there local organizations that can assist in training SSC members
and community volunteers? In some cases, there may be a need for social

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awareness, or social behavior changes. It is important that if this the case,

trained professionals are involved in every stage of any sort of training or
awareness projects. Consider also how such training could be cascaded in
an efficient manner without compromising the quality of training. How can
individuals/groups be trained? How can they share what they’ve learned or
train each other? Approaching capacity-building in this way can lead to wider
dissemination of necessary knowledge and skills.

4.4.4: Autonomous organization

Sometimes, community groups may decide to mobilize themselves
autonomously in the name of school safety. This is ok! It allows for groups
to organize in a way that works best for them and caters to their strengths.
When groups are allowed to organize in this manner (i.e. choosing their own
roles, responsibilities and leadership), the results are more long-lasting and
sustainable. However, autonomous organization must not negate existing SSC
activities or risk increasing potential violation to human/children’s rights.

Remember, consideration for human rights and the well-being of the children
should be the top priority in the formulation of each part of the action plan. If
any part of the plan has the potential to put children in harm’s way, it should
be changed! This is especially important when considering staffing. Anyone
who may come into contact with, or has a part in the safety of, children
should have a thorough background check.

4.5: Process reflection and feedback

Reflecting upon and feedback for the action plan should be continual and
ongoing at all stages of development, implementation and review. Keeping
community members involved can help to identify problems or tensions
earlier, so that they may be properly mitigated. Just as with other areas of the
action plan, you should ask yourself if the monitoring & evaluation, reflection,
re-evaluation and revision process meets the needs of all beneficiaries and
stakeholders while ensuring student safety.

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4.5.1: Monitoring and evaluation

Before a plan can be implemented, there should be clearly outlined
mechanisms to monitor the action plan. Evaluation can be embedded into
the process of conducting drills and mechanisms and pathways for reporting
areas of weakness and newly identified gaps should be made known to all
involved. This includes community members and children. Volunteers can
be identified and recruited to monitor various aspects of the safety process
and should be consulted often for feedback on what is working well and
where improvements can be made. Just as when formulating the SSC,
the monitoring team recruited should be a representative sample of the
population. Remember, various groups experience emergencies differently.
They can offer valuable inputs that, when brought together, help to ensure
that safety procedures are whole and complete, with no gaps in safety
coverage. On the following page is an example of a Safety Feedback form that
can be adapted to various contexts and drills. While this form provides space
for a name, the form can also be anonymous.

4.5.2: Reflection, re-evaluation and revision

Feedback that is collected, but not reflected upon provides no use. The SSC
should meet on a regular basis to review feedback and reflect upon the action
plan and safety mechanisms. Some aspects of the action plan may need to
be re-evaluated. Are all members fulfilling their duties? Are safety procedures
timely and child-friendly? Are there additional problems with infrastructure
that have been identified? It may be necessary to revise certain aspects of
the action plan. In this case, all members of the SSC, the community and the
children should be informed as soon as changes are made. Knowing that
their concerns are being heard will encourage future safety concerns to be
reported and help to maintain trust. When procedures change, children will
also need time to practice new routines. These steps will ensure the continued
safety and participation of all involved.

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Safety feedback form

Name: ____________________________________ Date:___________

____________________________________

Safety procedure in question: _______________________________________

Date the drill was performed or concern was observed (if not applicable, write
“n/a”): ___________________________________________________________

Specific concern: ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Ideas for improvement: _________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

What was done well: ___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

How can we contact you?

Phone: ________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________

Postal Mail:
___________________________
___________________________
___________________________

***Thank you for your feedback***

Source: GCPEA (2014).

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 How to create a safety manual for your school

Unit 5

How to create a safety manual

for your school

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Aims and Objectives

At the end of this unit, participants will:

Understand the importance of creating school disaster prevention manual

Know important points to include in the manual
Learn how to create the manual reflecting regional and local context

5.1: Your school’s safety manual

The risks and threats to safety will vary depending on the environment in
which the school is located, the size of the school, the ages of the students,
methods of commute, etc. Therefore, each school needs to make their own
school safety manual that reflects regional and local context.

In each school, it is required not only to protect the lives of the students during
times of emergencies, but also to ensure the safety of children on the way to
and from school as well as resuming educational activities after the disaster.

An individual school’s safety manual needs to be prepared in response to the

three stages of crisis management:

1. Crisis management before emergencies: Establishing a safe environment

and preventing emergencies

2. Crisis management when emergencies occur: Appropriately and

promptly responding to the disaster and minimizing damages

3. Crisis management after the disaster: Resuming daily life, classes and to
preventing recurrence

5.1.1: Purpose of creating manual

The purpose of creating a school safety manual for your campus is
twofold: clarifying the role of staff and getting information to families and
communities. It is important to clarify the role of all teachers and staff during

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 Unit 5: How to create a safety manual for your school

emergency preparation and response and to have it in writing for reference

purposes. This preparation is the basis for future correspondence. Ensuring
that families and partner organizations will also help to maintain the integrity
of implementation and make sure everyone is on the same page. When an
action plan is outlined and distributed to all parties involved, the response
during emergencies will be smooth and organized. Areas for improvement are
more easily recognized and appropriately addressed. It can also be a source of
information to families on regional/national emergency response plans.

5.1.2: Steps for creating manuals

The following steps can aid you and your school team in the creation of your
school safety manual.

Steps to creating a manual

• Step 1: Draft the school safety

manual with your School
Safety Committee
• Step 2: Discuss the contents
of the manual with local
governments and make
necessary adjustments
• Step 3: Carry out drills based Discussion/
on the manual Revision Review
• Step 4: Get feedback from
parents and community
members to identify
challenges
• Step 5: Address issues which Drill
became apparent and
request support from local
organizations as necessary
• Step 6: Review the manual
once again and make any
necessary revisions
Source: MEXT (2012, p.7).

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Tools for teachers

5.1.3: Considerations in making your manual

Three main things should be first and foremost in your mind when creating
your manual: preparation, protection and rebuilding. Keeping the following in
mind when preparing your manual will ensure a safe and secure environment
for students and staff alike.

Three considerations in making your manual

Preparation:
• Make sure to clarify the roles of all staff members
• Establish a system for cooperation with parents, community members and local
governments
• Identify secondary disasters considering regional and local context
• Carry out routine inspections
• Provide in-service teaching trainings on safety
• Utilize human resources outside school
Protection:
• Carry out safety procedures as outlined in the manual
• Ensure that you have reliable information during emergencies
• Ensure that you are communicating with parents/guardians as necessary
• Consider the risk of secondary disaster when handing students over to parents
too soon
• Establish guidelines with parents beforehand
Rebuilding:
• Mental health: respond to students and staff’s psycho-social recovery needs
• Learn from mistakes and continually seek to improve
• Consider curriculum to address post-emergency issues

Source: MEXT (2012).

76
 References

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School safety manual
Tools for teachers

for teachers on how to address basic school

safety. The Manual particularly aims to
introduce teachers to the knowledge and
skills needed for the establishment, mainte-
nance and sustainment of a safe learning
environment.

The Teacher Training and Development for

Peace-Building in the Horn of Africa and
Surrounding Countries project is made
possible through the generous support
from the Government of Japan