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Keeping your child safe at school is a top priority when you’re a parent. While schools implement measures to ensure the safety of their students, there’s more you can do to empower your child with the knowledge and tools to navigate potentially dangerous situations. Read on for essential tips to help ensure your child is prepared for anything that comes their way.

Memorise Emergency Contact Information

One of the most important safety tips is ensuring your child knows your phone number and address and alternate emergency contacts by heart. If they’re too young to memorise it, write it down and place it in their school bag.  You should encourage them to share this information only with trusted adults when necessary.

Understand Stranger Danger

You should teach your child about the dangers of strangers and the importance of being cautious. Ensure they know not to accept gifts, rides, or help from people they don’t know, even if the person appears friendly. Role-playing scenarios can help them practise saying “no” firmly and walking away.

Follow School Rules

School rules exist to keep everyone safe. Explain to your child the importance of following these rules, whether staying within designated areas, not running in hallways, or following instructions during fire drills. You can also encourage them to ask questions if they don’t understand why specific rules exist.

Recognise and Report Bullying

Bullying can take many forms, including verbal, physical, and online. Teach your child to recognise bullying behaviours and emphasise the importance of reporting them to a teacher or trusted adult. This can promote open communication at home and help your child feel comfortable sharing issues at school.

Use the FREE-to-use iER App

The Free-to-use iER App can also promote your child’s well-being at school. Its one-touch panic button widget lets your child quickly alert the emergency centre in unsafe situations, such as medical emergencies. Your child can be instantly connected to emergency personnel, such as counselling services, ensuring their physical and emotional well-being.

Know the School’s Safety Procedures

As a parent, you can take proactive measures such as familiarising yourself and your child with the school’s safety protocols to help them navigate emergencies better when you’re not around. For instance, you can teach them to understand what to do in case of a fire, lockdown, or other emergencies. Most importantly, going over these procedures with your child can ensure they know why they should follow their teacher’s instructions during such situations.

Safe Travel to and from School

Whether your child walks, cycles, or takes the bus, teaching them safe travel practices should be part of their everyday schedule. If they walk or cycle, show them the safest routes, remind them to use pedestrian crossings, and follow traffic rules. For bus riders, discuss the importance of staying seated, keeping the aisle clear, and being cautious when getting on or off the bus.

Healthy Digital Habits

Online safety is as important as physical safety in today’s digital age. You should teach your child healthy digital habits, such as avoiding sharing personal information online, like their address, school name, or phone number. Moreover, you should encourage them to speak up if they encounter cyberbullying or receive messages that make them uncomfortable.

Recognise Unsafe Situations

Help your child develop situational awareness by recognising potentially unsafe situations. This could include avoiding isolated areas and walking alone, noticing if someone is following them, or identifying hazardous playground equipment and strangers that could pose a risk. Discuss how to respond, such as seeking help from a teacher, identifying a safe stranger or moving to a populated area to improve their safety.

The Buddy System

The buddy system is a simple yet effective safety strategy for ensuring you know who your child is with and that they won’t go anywhere alone. Encourage your child to stay with a friend or group when walking to and from school, using the restroom, or participating in extracurricular activities. A buddy provides extra support and can assist in case of emergencies.

Trust Their Instincts

Instincts can be a powerful mechanism when faced with potentially life-threatening emergencies. This is why every parent should teach their child to trust their gut feelings. If something doesn’t feel right, they should act on that instinct by leaving the situation and seeking help to prioritise their safety over politeness or fear of getting into trouble.

Additional Safety Tips for Parents

While teaching your child these tips, you can also take steps to enhance their safety by:

• Maintaining open communication
• Visiting the school often.
• Staying updated on emergencies the school notifies parents about.
• Providing emergency information for added safety.
• Teaching your child help-seeking behaviour and how to identify safe adults.

By teaching these essential safety tips, you equip your child with the skills and confidence they need to navigate school life securely. While schools strive to provide a safe environment, your involvement and proactive approach can make all the difference. With the FREE-to-use iER App, you and your child can stay connected to over 18 000 medical and non-medical emergency services 24/7 nationwide.

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