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Safeguarding and Well-Being in International Schools

Written by Charo Rodriguez, BFIS Director of Communications

This insightful dialogue with Dan Furness sheds light on the multifaceted landscape of safeguarding and well-being within international school environments. 

In episode 6 of the BFIS podcast, Rachel Hovington, Head of School, and Dan Furness, Head of Safeguarding and Well-Being at the Council of International Schools (CIS), engage in a dialogue focusing on child safeguarding in international school environments. Additionally, Lila Jorge, Associate Head of School and Manager of Child Protection and Safeguarding at BFIS, sheds some light on our internal initiatives and ongoing efforts undertaken by BFIS in this critical area. 

Introduction

Dan begins by discussing the International Safeguarding Toolkit, aimed at supporting schools worldwide in safeguarding and child protection. His conversation with Rachel covers cultural perspectives, mental health concerns, well-being curriculum implementation, parental engagement, and student empowerment.

Scope of Child Safeguarding

Dan highlights the establishment of the International Child Protection Task Force by CIS in response to the William Vahey case in 2015. The focus of their conversation expands to include mental health challenges like those we all experienced from COVID-19, and trauma-informed approaches. Cultural context is emphasized, with discussions on intercultural safeguarding approaches and adherence to local laws. Priorities like peer-to-peer abuse and online harm are addressed, stressing the need for ongoing education.

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Wellbeing Curriculum

The importance of a contemporary well-being curriculum in international schools is discussed next. Rachel and Dan delve into a profound discussion about the vital significance and intricate components of a contemporary well-being curriculum within international educational settings, and Dan advocates for prevention-focused education integrated into the entire curriculum. Rachel emphasizes themes beyond traditional topics like online safety and peer harm. Lila Jorge shares insights from BFIS on embedding child protection principles and trauma-informed approaches into the curriculum to create a supportive environment for students.

Student’s Voice

The conversation explores capturing quality student voices in international schools. Dan highlights methods like surveys and involving students in developing these methods. Student leadership organizations are discussed as amplifiers of student voice within the school community. Dan discusses the role of student leadership organizations, such as school councils, in amplifying student voices within the school community. He advocates for meaningful student involvement in decision-making processes and suggests diversifying student leadership roles to cover various aspects of school life, including safeguarding behavior management, and even curriculum design.

Across the globe, international schools are earnestly committed to creating safe and supporting educational environments. While significant strides have been made, there remains much more ground to cover. Thanks to the initiatives led by CIS and the International Child Protection Task Force, coupled with the introduction of powerful resources such as the International Safeguarding Toolkit, schools now have the means to expedite the creation of safe and nurturing educational environments.

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