Department of Education

COTABATO DIVISION

INDANGAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Indangan, makilala, Cotabato

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

RATIONALE

Indangan National High School strongly support to DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012 otherwise known as DepEd Protection Policy. As, embodied in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the Senate shall defend the rights of children to assistance including; proper care, health and nutrition and special protection of abuse, cruelty, exploitation, corporal punishment, and other conditions that hinder to their development.The schoolauthorities and stakeholders must see to it that all students enrolled in this institution are safe from any form of harm/violence particularly when the learners are inside the school campus.

POLICY AND GUIDELINES ON PROTECTING CHILDREN IN INDANGAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FROM ABUSE, CRUELTY, EXPLOITATION, DISCRIMINATION, BULLYING, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND OTHER FORMS OF ABUSE.

  1. GENERAL PROVISION

Section 1. Short Title

INDANGAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL Child protection Policy

Section 2. Statement of Policy

Indangan National High School support the provision of our Constitution, that it will fully assists the government to defend the rights of the childrenwith special protection from any form of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, corporal punishment, bullying and other forms of abuse and maltreatment.

Section 3. Definition of Terms

  1. CHILDREN IN SCHOOL – refers to a bonafide students who are enrolled in the basic education system whether regular, irregular, transferee or repeater, including those whohave been temporarily out of school, who are in school or learning centers premises or participating in school-sanctioned activities.
  1. STUDENT OR LEARNER – means, a child who regularly attends classes in any level of the basic education system under the supervision and tutelage of a teacher or facilitator.
  1. SCHOOL PERSONNEL - means the persons, singly or collectively workingworking in a public or private school. They are classified as follows:
  1. School Head – refers to the Chief Executive Officer or Administrator of the school, the school Principal.
  2. Academic Personnel – includes all school personnel who are formally engage in actual teaching service as well as those who posses certain prescribed academic functions directly supportive in teaching, such as; librarian, guidance counselor and other similar persons.
  1. CHILD PROTECTION – refers to programs, services, procedures and structures that are intended to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation, discrimination, corporal punishment, and other form of violence.

The school Guidance Counselor (designate with teaching loads and other assignments) who works closely with the School Heads and colleagues)

  1. CHILD ABUSE – refers to the maltreatment of the child whether psychological or physical. The personnel, including the School Head and particularly the academic personnel who are formally engaged in actual teaching service will refrain from any act by deeds or words which debase degrade or demean the intrinsic worth of the student as a human being.

The School Personnel immediately attend to the medical needs of a student in pain or any kind of injury. If it is necessary that the injured child needs the services of a physician, they take appropriate action to bring the child to the nearest hospital and immediately inform the parents/guardian about the injury. The injured child will receive assistance in the form of reimbursement for hospital expenses from the Mt. Apo Foundation, Inc. (MAFI) in the amount of two thousand pesos.

  1. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN – refers to the act of exclusion, distinction or preference. Regarding student pregnancy, the school personnel respect the rights of the child to continue her studies. Her classmates are advised not to become judgmental but instead, be of help so that she can live a normal life. Self – study at home using the EASE Modules is part of the scheme during the later months of pregnancy and after giving birth within the school year, for health reason and to save her from demeaning looks of her classmates and school mates.
  2. CHILD EXPLOITATION – refers to the use of children for someone else’s advantage. The personnel see to it that nobody is physically, sexually, and economically exploited.
  1. VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN COMMITED IN SCHOOL – refers to a single act a series of acts committed by school personnel against a child. The school Personnel protect the students against any form of violence, either it is physical, psychological, sexual or in any form of violence.

Indangan national ask the assistance of the Barangay Officials, Department of Social Welfares and Development and other agencies/NGO’s to conduct lectures regarding violence against children.

  1. BULLYING OR PEER ABUSE – refers to willful aggressive behavior that is directed towards a particular person who may be outnumbered, young, weak, with disability, and less confident.

Everyone must be aware in any form of bullying and peer abuse. Conference and counseling is done inside the classroom by the class adviser. For instance, inflicting or attempting to inflict physical injury by any student to another student, the teacher will settle the grudge of two parties with a written reprimand. If the act of bullying is repeated, the victim/s and the bully/s is/are brought to the Guidance Counselor. Invite or informed parents/guardians to come to school for a written agreement signed by the two inflicting parties including the parents/guardians.

  1. CORPORAL PUNISHMENT – refers to a kind of punishment and other penalty imposed to the child for an alleged actual offense.

Any physical degrading and humiliating punishment is should never be happen in the school for the purpose of discipline, training done by any teacher or by the School Head.

Deprivation of the child’s physical needs as a form of punishment, verbal abuse, cursing and humiliates the child in front of others should not be imposed by any school Personnel.

  1. POSITIVE AND NON-VIOLENT DISCIPLINE OF CHILDREN – is a way of thinking and a holistic, constructive approach to teaching that helps children develop appropriate thinking and behavior in the short and long term and foster self discipline. It is based on the fundamental principle begins with setting the long term goals or impacts that teachers want to have on their student’s adult lives, and using everyday situations and challenges as opportunities to teach life-long skills and values to students.
  1. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Section 4. THE SCHOOL

The School Head shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

  1. Ensure the institution of effective child protection policies and procedures, and monitor compliance thereof;
  2. Ensure that all students, school personnel, parents, guardians and visitors are made aware of child protection policy;
  3. Maintain a record of all proceedings related to bullying or peer abuse and submit after each school year to the Division Office;
  4. Ensure that the adopts a Student Code of Conduct to be followed by every student while on school ground, when travelling to and from school, or during a school sponsored activity, during break time whether in or out campus.
  5. Coordinate with the appropriate offices and other agencies for appropriate assistance and intervention, bullying and other act for counseling.
  6. Ensure that all incidents of abuse with provisions of this Department Order.

Section 5. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL PERSONNEL

The School Personnel shall exercise the following as provided in Article 218, of the Family Code of the Philippines:

  1. Exercise special parental authority and responsibility over the child while under their supervision, instruction and custody. Authority and responsibility shall apply to all authorized activity whether inside or outside the school premises, entity or institution.

Articles 220 and 233 of the family Code of the Philippines. Presidential decree No. 603, and other related laws enumerated the following duties and responsibilities of the above mentioned persons and personnel over the children under their supervision, instruction and custody;

  1. Keep them in a company and support, educate and instruct them by showing good example.
  2. Give them love and affection, advice and counsel, companionship and understanding;
  3. Enhance, protect, preserve and maintain their physical and mental health at all times;
  4. Furnish them with good and wholesome educational materials, supervise their activities, recreation and association with others, protect them from bad company and prevent them from acquiring habits detrimental to their health, studies and morals;
  5. Inculcate the value of respect and obedience;
  6. Practice positive and non-violent discipline as may be required under circumstances, provided that in no case shall corporal punishment be inflicted upon them.

Section 6. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS AND LEARNERS

  1. Comply with the school’s Regulations, as long as they are in harmony with their best interests.

Students and Learners shall refrain from:

  1. Engaging in discrimination, or leading a group of students to discriminate another in reference to one’s physical appearance, weaknesses and status.
  2. Doing any act that inappropriate as a student or learners;
  3. Participating in any illegal, unsafe and abusive activities;
  4. Marking or damaging any school property, like books, chairs, tables and any form of vandalism;
  5. Engaging in fights or any aggressive actions and behaviors;
  6. Introducing inside the school premises any form of pornographic materials and prohibited articles as deadly weapons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and toxic and noxious substances;
  7. Performing other similar acts that cause damage or injury to others. An allegation that any of these acts has been committed shall not be used to curtail the Child’s basic Rights, or interpreted to defeat the objective of the Department Order No. 40.
  1. Conduct themselves in accordance with their levels of development, maturity and demonstrated capabilities with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other persons.
  2. Respect other person’s rights regardless of opinion, status, gender, tribe, religion as well as every one’s moral and physical integrity, and;
  3. Observe the written agreement in the Code of Conduct for students and learners.

Section 7. ESTABLISHMENT OF CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

The School’s Child Protection Committee for SY 2014 – 2015 is composed of the following:

School Head (Chairperson): EREMIAS G. ANDOY

Guidance Counselor-designated (Vice Chairperson): MERCEDES D. UMALI

Faculty Association President: EVELYN S. PANES

Parents Teachers Association President: REBECCA R. JAVIER

Supreme Student Government President: MARICAR VILLABER

BLGU – Committee on Education Chairman:ELAINE R. AGRAO

The Child Protection Committee shall have the following functions:

  1. Draft a written agreement on Child Protection policy with a code of conduct and a plan to ensure child protection and safety which shall be reviewed every three years;
  2. Initiate information dissemination programs and organized activities for the protection of students from abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and peer abuse;
  3. Establish a system for identifying students who may be suffering from any significant based of physical, emotional and behavioral signs;
  4. Identify and report to the appropriate offices, cases involving child abuse, exploitation, violence, discrimination, bullying and any form of peer abuse;
  5. Ensure that the Children’s Right to be heard are respected and upheld in all matters and procedures affecting their welfare.
  1. PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO ADDRESS CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE, AND DISCRIMINATION, BULLYING AND OTHER ACTS OF ABUSE.

Section 8. The School Head, Guidance Counselor-designate, MAKABAYAN teachers, Supreme Student Government Adviser and Student Leaders, attend seminars and trainings on Positive Peer relationships and enhancement of social and emotional competence. The supreme Student Government initiated the conduct of symposia by the Municipal Public Safety, Municipal and Provincial Health Office, the PNP on these matters. Teachers use training modules on Gender Sensitivity, Classroom Management, and Stress Management.

  1. PROTECTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ADDRESS CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, VIOLENCE, DISCRIMINATION, BULLYING AND OTHER ACTS OF ABUSE

Section 9. PROCEDURES IN HANDLING BULLYING INCIDENTS IN INDANGAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL:

  1. The class adviser, the subject teacher and the designated Guidance Counselor in the act of bullying and other child abuse must settle the grudges and problems inside the classroom, the class adviser kept the anecdotal records of the students.
  2. If the act is repeated, the bully and the victim are brought to the office of the school head to resolve the problem and a letter inviting the parents and guardians is to be sent. Records of the proceedings of the conference are done by the Guidance Counselor-designate. The penalty of reprimand is imposed by the school head in the presence of the parents and guardians.

Section 10. IMPLEMENTING OF NON-PUNITIVE MEASURES

Depending on the case / act of bullying committed by any students of the school imposes other non-punitive measures like making a written promise not to repeat the Act by asking the parents and guardians of the concerned individual to come to school to make an amicable settlement.

  1. RULES AND PROCEDURES IN HANDLING CHILD ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, VIOLATION AND DISCRIMINATION CASES.

Section 11. INVESTIGATION AND REPORTING

The conduct of investigation and reporting of cases of child abuse, exploitation, violence and discrimination shall be done expeditiously by the school personnel.

Section 12. CONFIDENTIALITY

In the case of child abuse, violence, discrimination, exploitation, bullying, peer abuse, psychological abuse and other acts of abuse by a students, the identity and other information that may reasonable identify the students, whether victim or offender, shall be withheld from the public to protect the privacy of the victims.

On other hand, the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers protects the rights of Teachers and no publicity shall be given to any disciplinary action against a teacher during the proceedings of the case.

  1. REFERRAL AND ASSESSMENT OF VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS AND OTHER CHILDREN

Section 13. REFERRAL AND ASSESSMENT

The school head may refer the victims and the offenders in cases involving child abuse, exploitation, discrimination, bullying, peer abuse and other acts of abuse to the Local Social Welfare and Development Office for assessment. The LSWDO shall determine the appropriate intervention.