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While providing a safe school environment rests mostly on school officials, as parents, there are some measures to take to improve your child’s safety. For instance, you can teach them the importance of emergency drills and how to follow procedures when faced with a life-threatening situation. Read on to discover how to ensure your kids stay safe at school.

Get Involved

Having regular and proactive conversations with your child’s teachers and related school officials can help you stay informed. This helps to understand if the school has enough resources to promote a safe environment for your child’s well-being. Most importantly, you can learn the strategies to implement to ensure you improve their safety while at school.

Keeping an open line of communication with teachers can also keep you updated about your child’s everyday experiences. You can also find out how the teachers implement safety measures. Maintaining positive relationships with people entrusted with your child’s safety can improve your peace of mind.

Understand the School’s Emergency Procedures

Acting quickly in emergencies relies on understanding the school’s emergency procedures. You should have access to emergency plans and contact information should there be a crisis. If your child can carry a smartphone to school, ensure they have the FREE-to-use iER App downloaded from Google Play, AppStore or AppGallery.

Regular conversations with your child are the easiest way to stay updated about the school’s emergency procedures. This should include practising emergency drills and educating them about situational awareness. These discussions can promote the sharing of practical tips that can be helpful should an emergency occur at school.

Be Familiar with Travel Routes

Knowing alternative routes to and from school is a reliable strategy that should be part of your emergency plan. The road you use daily can be blocked when an emergency occurs. Access to different travel routes can keep you safe when you need to fetch your child from school and reduce potential safety risks.

It’s also important to note that accidents happen when kids commute to school. If you notice any route safety concerns, you should ensure to inform the school if it falls within their scope. Moreover, educate your child about road safety concerns that can put their lives at risk.

Follow School Security and Safety Measures

Schools have specific security and safety measures, such as visitors signing in when entering the premises or having a security checkpoint to refuse entry to suspicious individuals. However, kids are also meant to follow specific protocols during school hours. Ensure that your child is aware of the rules that are in place.

Other security and safety measures that you can ask the school about include:

• Restricted points of entry.
• Designated parking lots and drop-off locations.
• Secured building parameters.
• Monitoring and surveying to prevent criminal activities.
• Policies in place to address bullying.

Have a Conversation with Your Child About Safety

You can discuss various safety-related issues with your child. If they’re still young, stick to the basics and educate them on the importance of following instructions and why they shouldn’t talk to strangers. Most importantly, they should know how to observe their surroundings.

These are other general safety rules you can talk to them about:

• Learning basic contact information and knowing who to call when in an emergency.
• To not share personal information online.
• Knowing how to use the FREE-to-use iER App.
• To not walk alone.
• To not eat anything given to them by strangers.

Teaching your kids about staying safe at school can help them identify and know how to respond to potential dangers. It can also ensure they have the knowledge and skills to navigate challenging and life-threatening situations. The FREE-to-use iER App connects you to a nationwide network of over 17,500 medical and non-medical emergency responders that you can rely on if your child’s safety is compromised during school hours.

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