Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education

Region XII

Surallah North District

SURALLAH EAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Surallah, South Cotbato

CRISPIN A. SOLIVEN JR.

Schools Division Superintendent

Officer In-charge

Division of South Cotabato

Sir;

Greetings of peace!

Attached is the Child Protection Policy for School Year 2015-2016 of Surallah East Elementary School, which we are hereby endorsing you for your acceptance.This policy is the product of joined efforts both the internal and external stakeholders of our school.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely yours,

CYNTHIA G. DIAZ RONALD D. CORNETA

Principal SGC President

ROMEO A. TAACA JENNIFFER T. BAGAYGAY

PTA President School Guidance Coordinator

SCHOOL CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

CYNTHIA G. DIAZ

Principal

SCPC Chairman

JENNIFFER T. BAGAYGAY

School Guidance Coordinator

SCPC Vice- Chairman

MERCEDITA S. ALILIGAY

SEESTA President

SCPC Member

RENATO SUSBILLA

Punong Barangay

SCPC Member

RONALD D. CORNETA

SGC President

SCPC Member

ROMEO A. TAACA

PTA President

SCPC Member

ASHLEY NICOLE GUSTILO

PGO President

SCPC Member

Vision:

We dream of Filipinos who passionately love their country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation.

As a learner-centered public institution, the Department of Education continuously improves itself to better serve its stakeholders.

Mission:

To protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education where:

  • students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe, and motivating environment
  • teachers facilitate learning and constantly nurture every learner
  • administrators and staff, as stewards of the institution, ensure an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen
  • family, community, and other stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility for developing life-long learners.

Core Values:

  • Maka-Diyos,
  • Maka-tao,
  • Maka-kalikasan,
  • Makabansa

Introduction

Bullying and other forms of violence in schools should be viewed not just a school problem but a societal problem. Therefore, child protection is the responsibility of the school as well as the community.

Surallah East Elementary School recognizes thatevery child is special. The need to protect, support and care within family and school enable the children to grow free from violence. Our school desires to prevent any form of abuses and take appropriate actions if there are existing forms of abuses of our school children.

The school together with the parents and other stakeholders must be aware the rights of every child; right to live – food, shelter, and health, right to develop- to education, leisure etc., and the right to be protected against abuse, discrimination, etc. (UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, 1990). Hence, failure to

Scope and Limitation

This Contextualized Child Protection Policy (CCPP) is intended to guide and protect pupils, from Kindergarten to grade Six including the out of school – youth who are part of the community. Teachers and stakeholders of Surallah East Elementary School of Surallah North District are also part of this policy and on the supervision and implementation.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined as used in this policy.

For purposes of this policy, “child abuse” is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development. Child abuse occurs in different ways and includes the following:

  • Physical abuse – any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting.
  • Emotional abuse – emotional injury when the child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.
  • Sexual abuse – any sexual activity between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim, including activities such as fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.
  • Neglect – depriving a child of his or her essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care.

Bullying - is the use of force, threat, coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception, by the bully or by others, of an imbalance of social or physical power. Behaviors used to assert such domination can include verbal harassment or threat, physical assault or coercion, and such acts may be directed repeatedly towards particular targets. It can be classified into four types:

  • Physical ( hitting, punching, or kicking )
  • Verbal ( name – calling or taunting )
  • Relational ( destroying peer acceptance and friendships)
  • Cyber bullying ( using electronic means to harm others)

Child labor-refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful.

Corporal Punishment – refers to a kind of punishment or penalty imposed for an alleged or actual offense, which is carried out or inflicted for the purpose of discipline, training or control by a teacher, school administrator, an adult, or any other child who has been given or has assumed authority or responsibility for punishment or discipline. It includes physical, humiliating or degrading punishment, including, but not limited to the following:

  • blows such as, but not limited to beating, kicking, hitting, slapping, or lashing, or any part of a child’s body, with or without the use of an instrument such as, but not limited to a cane, broom, stick, whip or belt;
  • striking of a child’s face or head, such being declared as a “no contack zone”;
  • pulling hair, shaking, twisting joints, cutting or piercing skin, dragging, pushing or throwing of a child;
  • forcing a child to perform physically painful or damaging acts such as, but not limited to holding a weights or weights for an extended period and kneeling on stones, salt, pebbles or other subjects;
  • deprivation of a child’s physical needs as a form of punishment;
  • deliberate exposure to fire, ice, water, smoke, sunlight, rain, peeper, alcohol, or forcing the child to swallow substances, dangerous chemicals, and other materials that can cause discomfort or threaten the child’s health, safety and sense of security such as, but not limited to bleach or insecticides, excrement or urine;
  • tying a child;
  • confinement, imprisonment or depriving the liberty of a child;
  • verbal abuse or assaults, including intimidation or threat of bodily harm, swearing or cursing, ridiculing or denigrating the child;
  • forcing a child to wear a sign, to undress or disrobe, or to put on anything that will make a child look or feel foolish, which belittles or humiliates the child;
  • permanent confiscation of persons property of pupils, students or learners, except when such pieces of property pose a danger to the child or to others; and
  • Other analogous acts.

SIGNS of ABUSES OCCURING IN THE INSTITUTION/ COMMUNITY

  1. Bullying
  2. Verbal Abuse
  3. Child Labor
  4. Peer Abuse
  5. Emotional Abuse
  6. Physical Abuse

SIGNS OF ABUSES

  • have difficulty concentrating in school or have excessive absences that may result in low academic performance.
  • visible signs of physical abuse such as unexplained burns, bruises.
  • unconvincing explanations of a child’s injuries.
  • Indifference with others.
  • change in child’s behavior such as scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn or more aggressive or may display behaviors shown at earlier ages, such as thumb- sucking, fear of the dark or strangers.
  • feeling of inferiority in dealing and in mingling with peers.
  • express apprehension or anxiety about leaving school or about going places with the person who is abusing them.
  • eating behavior may change due to fear, stress and anxiety which may result in weight gain or weight loss. They may have frequent nightmares or have difficulty in falling asleep, and as a result may appeared tired or fatigued.
  • loss of self- confidence.

Possible Warning Signs that a Child is being bullied include:

  • Comes home with torn, damaged, or missing pieces of clothing, books, or other belongings
  • Has unexplained cuts, bruises, and scratches
  • Spend few time with his/her friends
  • Takes a long, "illogical" route when walking to or from school
  • Has lost interest in school work
  • Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home
  • Complains physical ailments such as headaches, stomaches, etc….
  • Frequent bad dreams or trouble in sleeping.
  • Loss of appetite
  • Experience low self- steem.
  • Seems afraid of going to school, walking to and from school, riding the school bus, or taking part in organized activities with peers
  • Appears sad, moody, teary, or depressed when he or she comes home

Duties and Responsibilities of Faculty and Staff

  1. Ensure the institution of effective child protection policies and procedures and monitor compliance thereof ;
  2. Ensure that the school adopts a child protection policy , organize and convene Child protection Committee for the school;
  3. Conduct the capacity building the activities for the members of the CPC and Guidance Counselor/ teachers;
  4. Ensure that parents have an understanding of the responsibility placed on the school and staff for child protection by setting out its obligations in the school prospectus.
  5. Notify social services if there is an unexplained absence of more than two days of a pupil who is on the child protection register.
  6. Keep written records of concerns about children, even where there is no need to refer the matter immediately.
  7. Ensure all records are kept securely; separate from the main pupil file,and in locked locations.
  8. Ensure the secrecy of data and issues recorded and disclosed by the victim.
  9. Ensure that the participatory and other rights of children are respected;
  10. Coordinate with appropriate offices, agencies for any assistance and intervention.

Functions of the School Child Protection Committee

1. Performed information dissemination, programs and organized activities for

the protection of children.

2. Organized a system for identifying pupils who were suffering from abusive

acts based on any physical, emotional or behavioral signs.

3. Raise awareness of child protection issues within communities, including

children and young people.

4. Assure immediate actions on certain issues which could affect the school,

stakeholders and the community.

Reporting and Referral Mechanism

1. Teacher adviser calls the attention of concerns.

2. If not resolved, case will be brought to the school guidance coordinator.

3. If not resolved, case will be brought to the committee.

4. If not resolved, the school principal may refer the case to the higher office

theMunicipal Department of Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) for

assessment andappropriate intervention and Department of Education.

Reporting and Referral Diagram

Documentation

(Annex “A”).

The cases of abuse, violence, exploitation, discrimination, bullying or peer abuse and others will be reported using the form below.

School/Division/Region:______

Period Covered: ______

Person Submitting Report:______

Designation: ______Date: ______

Victim/s / Respondent/s
Name / Age / Sex / Name / Age / Sex / Name of Complaint / Action Taken / Recommendations

(Annex “B”)

INTAKE SHEET

I. INFORMATION

  1. VICTIM

Name: ______

Date of Birth: ______Age: ______Sex: ______

Gr./ Yr. and Section: ______Adviser: ______

Parents:

Mother: ______Age: ______

Occupation: ______

Address: ______

Father: ______

Occupation: ______

Address and Contact Number: ______

______

______

  1. COMPLAINT

Name: ______

Relationship to Victim: ______

Address and Contact Number: ______

  1. RESPONDENT:

C-1. If respondent is a School Personnel

Name: ______

Date of Birth: ______Age: ______Sex: ______

Designation/ Position: ______

Address and Contact Number: ______

______

______

C.2. If respondent is a student

Name: ______

Date of Birth: ______Age:______Sex:______

Gr./ Yr. and Section: ______Adviser: ______

Parents/ Guardian

Mother: ______Age: ______

Occupation: ______

Address and Contact Number: ______

______

______

Father: ______Age: ______

Occupation: ______

Address and Contact Number: ______

______

______

II. DETAILS OF THE CASE

______I

II. ACTION TAKEN

1.

2.

3.

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS

1.

2.

Prepared by:

______

Signature over Printed Name

______

Designation

______

Date