Siddhantam Safety & Security
Safety & Security
A safe and secure environment is a prerequisite for making a durable and SAFE condition where the children have a sense of safety Physically, Mentally and Emotionally. Safety must be introduced as a topic which is required to be discussed regularly with children to make them aware about various aspects of safety like good touch, bad touch, talking to strangers etc. This makes them responsible for their own safety.
The school endeavors to provide safe and secure environment to its students by promoting various safety measures. At Siddhantam, we make sure that our students are safe and feel safe. The safety and security checklist of a school must cover five important aspects. It should include:
Physical safety
For students to learn, they need to feel safe. It is essential to keep the school environment including the school building, premises, playground, laboratories, toilets, and school buses, surroundings safe and secure. Students who feel safe are more likely to stay in school and achieve academically. The school building must ensure “life safety”, and more resilient to hazards. School administration, staff, teachers as well as students are prepared to respond to any catastrophe, natural or man-made. The school has its fire fighting system intact for any exigency.
Emotional & Social safety
Just as the physical safety of children in schools is important to ensure complete student safety, so too is their psychosocial safety. Children who are victims of violence show continuous symptoms of depression, dissociative reactions, feelings of helplessness, lack of emotional intelligence, and aggression. Emotional and psychosocial maltreatment destroys a child’s sense of self and personal safety. The school provides the right ambience to develop and enrich talents to facilitate the total development of a child’s personality. Effective school safety policies are fully integrated into school planning and strategy.
Cyber/Digital safety
Cyber safety is the safe and responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies. Being Netsafe is very crucial for children in today’s world of technology where children are spending more time online than ever before and are interacting online from a younger age.. The term cyber bullying refers to bullying using electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers, and tablets, or other communication tools, including social media sites, text messages, chat rooms, and websites. Children are introduced to Cyber safety norms as how to make safe and responsible use of ICT such as the internet, online games, smart phones, tablets and other connected devices.
Emergency Readiness and Management
No matter the age–from Pre-K/Elementary School to higher education– communities and families expect schools to ensure their children are safe in the face of an emergency, including violence, crime, natural disasters, epidemics, and accidents. It is critical for a school and communities to work together to develop plans that can be effectively implemented in the event of an emergency. The school works to identify early warning signs of problem behaviors and develop prevention, intervention and crisis response plans. Emergency preparedness is of utmost importance to handle any disaster.
Signature Practices for Safety and Security
School Premises
- The school has a well designated outer wall with barbed wire to check truancy as well as intrusion.
- There is only one entry and exit to and from the school building, which is through the reception area.
- All windows have grills.
- Conductors & Drivers are not allowed inside the school building premises.
- CCTV cameras are installed in key strategic locations across the campus especially entrance and exit to the school, corridors, entry to washrooms, library, sports ground etc which gives a sense of prevention, preparedness and response.
- Installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations across school premises would ensure that a child's day-to-day life in school is constantly being monitored and recorded.
School Entry Point
- Access to the school building is regulated by the security guards hired from certified security agency.
- A visitor management system is followed and all the details of the visitors are well recorded. The school easily collates information from visitors during the sign-in/sign-out process. Visitor’s entry is restricted to authorization by the Principal/the concerned authority.
- No parent or visitor can enter the school without Escort / ID card. Visitors are also provided Visitor’s card and pass for entry.
- A security check of all visitors, staff members and parents is carried out.
Safety Measures
- The school has a Safety & Security Officer, a vigilance officer and a transport -in-charge for the safety of the children.
- The Good touch and Bad touch video is shown on a weekly basis.
- Counseling related to other safety measures is also done by class teachers.
- Police verification is done for all permanent and part time appointees (teaching staff / non teaching staff). Even the staff that is outsourced has police verification.
- Evacuation plan has been put up on all floors.
- Parents are instructed to get the police verification done for the drivers and conductors of their private vehicles carrying their children.
- All teachers and other staff members wear identity cards while entering school premises.
- Adequate numbers of Fire Extinguishers are installed at various locations for firefighting in emergencies.
- Strict rules are established for attendance in bus and school.
- No stranger, driver or family friend is allowed to pick up the children.
- Supporting staff and the teachers are made aware of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act through workshop.
Washrooms
- There are separate toilets for boys & girls (students).
- There are separate toilets for visitors, teachers & staff.
- One attendant is stationed outside every toilet and checks each toilet every 15 minutes on all the floors.
- Additionally, all Nursery and KG sections have their own personal female support staff to escort children to the toilet.
- All CCTV systems are monitored at four-hourly shifts by the Vigilance Officer, the Safety & Security Officer and the IT In-charge.