Early this year, a male dance teacher in one of school was arrested for molesting a girl child while coaching her alone. The girl had refused to go to school for several days and it took some coaxing by her mother before she said that the dance teacher had been touching her inappropriately. Recent times have witnessed a surge of incidents involving violent acts being perpetrated against children, especially in schools. These incidents have left a deep scar on the impressionable minds of children and led to a fear psychosis in the minds of parents, guardians and the community at large.

When the Indian school industry is waking up to the security threat to their children, Maple Bear- the leading preschool & daycare in India has ensured their children are safe & prepared for any situation that may cause any threat to them. In a conversation with us , Ms. Hazel Siromoni, Managing Director, Maple Bear South Asia informed us how at Maple Bear children’s safety is of utmost importance.

1. How does Maple Bear ensures child’s safety at their centre?

Safety of our children is top priority for us at Maple Bear and we take it very seriously. We follow a holistic approach that covers all important aspects, including physical, sexual and emotional safety of the child. From childproofing all our schools with safety gates at the staircase and finger pinch guards at door hinges, to using toys and teaching aids made from materials that are absolutely safe and don’t pose a health hazard, we have all necessary measures in place to make our schools safe and secure for children. Our nannies and cleaning staff at school are trained in not only maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene, but also on proper storage of cleaning agents to ensure these are always out of reach of children.

2. What role does active supervision plays in safety at schools?

We closely monitor children through CCTV cameras installed in classrooms and play areas. However, we discourage our schools from live streaming footage of children to share with parents since such systems are prone to cyber security breaches. GPS tracking devices in our school vans notify parents each time their child boards and de-boards the vehicle.

3. Do you focus on Good Touch Bad Touch education to the children as well ?

We educate children about good touch and bad touch in a manner which is suitable for their age. Student ID cards have in-built sensors. If a child spends more than 3-4 minutes in the toilet, the sensor triggers an alarm alerting the admin staff to check on the child and ensure that he/she is safe on a real time basis. Our entire staff – right from teachers to administrators to nannies/caretakers are females only. Male members are not allowed within the school premises. Even the security guards posted at the school gates have no direct access or contact with children.

Though there are several rules & regulation towards children safety at school, implementation & supervision is they key. Terrorist attacks, fire at premises, sexual assaults – these are the threats the parents are experiencing. Its no longer happening in a developed part of the world, its happening in our children’s school. School like Maple Bear have set an example in implementing the practices that ensures our child’s safety. We need more school like them.

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