Safe Learning Environment - Case Study Example

Interview and newsletter Name Institution Interview questions on safety What is safety? or What is your perception of safety? Parent 1: safety refers to the entire process of total protection or free from danger. My perception of safety of a child in school, is that of total commitment of teachers to make the surroundings comfortable for the child to live in. The number of violence incidences in schools is alarming, so any parent who thinks their children are safe in school is just being naïve. I constantly asked my child about the safety of the school. Many accidents occur in school too. Parent 2: well, I do not think about it much. I believe that safety refers to all the circumstances, which makes learning in the school conducive. I trust that the school has ways of ensuring that the children are safe, so I think my child is safe in school. How would you react if your child told you the he is being bullied? Parent 1: I would approach the class teacher about it, and probably consult the parents of the bully. Bullying needs to be handled immediately before it gets out of hand Parent2: I would teach my child how to defend himself next time. Bullying is more like a rite of passage in school. Do you think the school is solely responsible for the child’s safety when in school? Parent1: children safety should be catered for by all parties involved. Parents should join forces in ensuring the safety of their children too Parent2: when my child is in school, the school is responsible for his safety. Parents have to work, and it is the duty of the school to teach and ensure the child’s safety. Have you inquired on the safety resources that the school has? Parent1: I did inquire when my child joined the school and I still check on them. I also asked about the security policies and the school’s disaster preparedness. Parent2: it is wise to inquire about the safety resources in a school. As parents, we entrust the safety of our children in the school, it is good to know how the school is prepared. Would you participate in developing a school safety plan? Parent1: that would be an honor; the school should involve parents more often on such matters Parent2: I will participate because it will help the school enhance the students’ safety. Newsletter Safety of children in school Introduction A safe learning environment is essential to students. Safety refers to the state of being free from danger or harm. As teachers and parents, it is our role to ensure that children are safe. Schoolchildren cannot really take care of themselves that is why the adults have the prerogative of ensuring that safety is maintained. By ensuring safety in schools, students will be able to concentrate on their studies. However, safety in American schools has been threatened. The increased forms of violence in schools can be through bullying, sexual harassment, fights, classroom disorder, assaults among others. America is no stranger to school violence. We witness school violence cases in the media that are disturbing. For instance, there was a case of a first grader shooting another first grader in Michigan. In Australia, a 6 year old set the playground on fire killing his fellow student. More recently, there was a tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut when a lone gunman shot 20 students and 6 teachers. The above examples show the intensity of the safety issue in schools. Serious measures have to be taken to ensure that safety is maintained at all levels of learning. It is evident that there are increased cases of violence in the American schools. Because of these incidents, some parents, researchers and the public do not really believe that the school environment is safe. Statistics from CDC shows that 2% of homicides happen in school grounds. This shows that most students will not experience violence in schools. However, the few violence incidences that happen need to be prevented. The first parent said that he does not feel that his child is safe in school. Any normal parent will not feel like their children are safe, given the extreme cases of violence we have seen in schools. Parents are protectors in nature, and when the children are out of their bounds some parents will be left fearing and hoping for the best. Such parents constantly check on their children and the school. In the second response, the parent seemed relaxed on the safety issue. The parent believed that the school is safe for the children. This might be a reasonable thing to do, because sometimes worrying will not help the situation. This response shows that the parent entrust the child’s safety in the school, because once the child is in school the parent cannot do much to help in case of a violent incident. The first parent seems to be so concerned about the safety issue. The parent does not believe school environment are safe and he constantly checks on the school and the child’s safety. The second interviewee has adopted a more relaxed attitude towards the safety issue. The parent believes that the school is capable of providing a safe environment for learning. Personally, I believe that schools are responsible for ensuring safety of students. Students pay to be in a safe learning environment, and the school should ensure that. Schools should put cameras and security men in place. Visitors should be screened to avoid strangers disrupting school safety. However, if parents do not get involved the school might not take this issue seriously. Parents should inquire about the safety and they should push the school to adopt safer resources and policies. Bullying is the most common type of violence in schools. The first parent believes that if his child is being bullied he has to take care of the matter by reporting to the school and the bully’s parent. By doing this, the issue of bullying will be handled immediately by adults hence limiting chances of occurring again. The second interviewee believes that bullying is a normal thing in school. Children are playful and sometimes they bully each other for fun. The parent believes that the best way is by teaching the child how to deal with bullies. Both parents have different perspectives on the bullying issue. I think the best way to deal with bullying is by combining both methods. Bullying is an early symptom of violence especially if it is persistent bullying. Parents should protect their kids against bullying, because such cases are hardly brought to the teachers attention. If a child is continually being bullied, the child might be affected adversely either psychologically or academically. A parent should also teach the child how to defend himself from bullies; this might help in the short term and in instilling confidence in the child so that he will not be afraid to report the bullying incident. I think, parents should communicate with their children constantly so that the children will open up if they are being bullied. The first interviewee does not believe that the school is solely responsible for the child’s safety when they are in school. As a parent he constantly checks on his child to ensure he is safe. He participates in activities relating to safety, because he believes that children’s safety is a collective duty for both parents and the school. The second interviewee is a typical American working class parent, who get engulfed in his responsibilities and believes that the school should ensure that the child is safe. This is understandable because most parents get caught up at work in order to provide for the children and to put them in the best schools. Personally I think that parents should be involved. Parents’ involvement does not have to be something outrageous, but simple steps will go a long way. A parent can educate his child on the importance of safety, that child will preserve peace more than children who have not been taught on the importance of safety. A parent can advise the child against violent behaviors and drugs or any other thing that can lead to violence. Parents should be involved in school activities that are against violence. Whatever the activities are about, parents should take such chances to instill sense on the students with regard to the violence issue. Both parents affirmed that they have inquired about the school’s safety resources. In as much, as both parents had somehow different motives for inquiring they felt it was important. The first interviewee keeps inquiring on the school’s safety resources because he feels like it his duty to know how safe his child. The second interviewee probably inquired because he needed an assurance that the school safety measures are on point, because the school is responsible for the safety of the child in school. All in all, parents should inquire about the safety resources, policies, and procedures in a school. Just like any other work place, schools should have sound risk management policies. There are many incidences that can put the safety of the children at risk; it does not have to be as a result of human activity only. Disasters such as fire and floods could happen. Parents have the obligation of ensuring that the school has good resources. For the last question, both the interviewees confirmed that they would participate in developing a school safety plan. All parents who care about their children will take part in such activities. The first parent agreed enthusiastically because he believes that all parent should have their children’s best interest. The second interviewee agreed to this idea because he believed that if parents get involved, the school would be much safer. Parents and teachers have different perspectives towards safety. Teachers and parents almost spend an equal amount of time with the students; therefore if they work together in ensuring safety, a comprehensive safety plan might be developed. The safety of children in school is an issue that should not be neglected anymore. Parents and the school should come together in ensuring that safety prevails. Children are the future, and they need good up bringing in a violent free environment. Parents should set the pace for good behaviors in order to make their children value safety. Schools should have all the necessary facilities to curb violence and any other risks. References Adair, John. Effective Communication: The Most Important Management Skill of All. London: Pan MacMillan, 2011. Print. Ferguson, L. H., & Janicak, C. A. (2005). Fundamentals of fire protection for the safety professional. Lanham, Md: Government Institutes. Friesen, Bruce. Designing and Conducting Your First Interview Project. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print. Read More