Top 15 Tips To Ensure Your Child Stays Safe In School by Dr. Chetan Ginigeri

What Does the School do?

Almost all schools adhere to safety standards as laid out by the Government. But with so many children and teachers, it is impossible to be 100% foolproof. A can of water spilled on the floor or a jumping challenge by a friend is beyond the control of the school safety management.

However, schools must form a safety committee consisting of teachers as well as students so as to keep the school safe or identify the potential areas where accidents can happen – for example:

• Toilets should be wiped and mopped every few minutes so that the floor does not get slippery.
• The school safety committee should resort to repairing all unsafe equipment or areas.
• The barbed wires, or the broken swing – all should either be repaired or removed from the school premises so that the safety of the kids is not compromised.

Role of Parents

As children grow, their physical energy increases and they indulge in a variety of activities. Young kids eagerly wait for recess so that they can set themselves free in the school playground and have fun chasing each other or playing football.

As a parent, taking a few precautions and educating your child about school safety can prevent accidents at school.

Top 15 Tips to Ensure Your Child Stays Safe in School

Following 15 tips will help your child be safe in school:

1. Slipping Falling

The most common cause of injury at school is slipping, tripping, or falling. This may result from running on the playground, slipping over wet surfaces, or missing an obstruction and falling. In some cases, other children may intentionally trip other kids for the sake of fun.

Question your child if they report such an incident. You may consider meeting the authorities and discussing the matter. Parents may collectively suggest setting up a vigilance team or appointing a supervisor in the playground and at all places to maintain discipline and prevent such accidents.

2. Observe the Signs

Instruct your child to observe the signs of ‘Caution’, ‘Wet floor’, ‘Work in Progress’, ‘Go Slow’ and how these signs look and mean. You can practice at home and also point these in malls, airports and railway stations.

3. Exercise Caution with Stairs for Child Stays Safe in School

Instruct the kids to hold the handrails while moving up and down the stairs. Advise against running on the stairs as they may slip and become seriously injured.

4. Get Personal

Show them animated clippings of how their favorite character trips and gets seriously injured and the pain is intense.

5. Teach Sports and Game Ethics to Your Child

Also, teach them to be alert if they observe such misconduct. Instruct them to immediately inform the in-charge or school authorities. Also make them understand that intentionally pushing other kids is wrong.

6. Following Instructions for Child Stays Safe in School

Strictly direct your child to follow the instructions of teachers and never breach them.

7. School Fences

Teach your kid to stay away from school fences and not to entertain strangers.

8. Safety on School Bus

Instruct your child to get on or off a school bus only when it has stopped moving. Also, ask them to exercise caution when it comes to waving out from the bus windows.

9. Accident Alert

Always provide them with a clean handkerchief and teach them to immediately inform the authorities if they are hurt. If no one is around, instruct them to wash the wound with clean water and cover it with a clean handkerchief. Ask them to make a mental note of how they got injured to understand if they need a tetanus injection.

10. Provide Proper Stationery

Some children cut their fingers with a blade while sharpening the pencil. Provide your kid with a proper sharpener. Teach your child not to play with sharp objects such as compasses and rulers and store them immediately after use in the geometrical compass box.

11. Safety From Furniture

Strictly advise your child against playing with doors and windows. Tell them not to slide the windows or bang classroom doors as this may harm them or other kids. Jumping on the chairs or benches can also be dangerous.

12. Open Laces are Dangerous

Direct your kid to immediately tie their shoelaces if open and properly wear the shoes.

13. Playground Safety

Advise them against climbing trees, mishandling playground equipment such as swings, crowbars, etc. Ask them to play, but with caution.

14. Take the School Tour

When it comes to the safety of your child, feel free to visit the school premises. If you find anything unsafe such as rusted play equipment or live wires, immediately inform the authorities and insist on getting it repaired on priority. You may also instruct your child to not use them until they are repaired.

You can say that you will take them to the playground in the evening till the school amenities are fixed. Insist that the school installs proper shock absorbents such as sand or foam-filled landing surfaces below slides and swings.

15. Bicycle Riding

If your child rides a bicycle to school, teach them not to show any stunts. No matter how hard your lecture and make your kid understand the precautions, in the end, they are just kids.

It is important to mention here that injuries do happen, and will happen, so do not let the injuries dampen the spirit of your child. Insist on taking precautions and let your kids enjoy their childhood!

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