Update on Child Protection in International Schools
October 2017
Keith Cincotta
Director of School Services
A few years ago, the international school community was rocked with a number of high profile incidences of child abuse, which left educational leaders needing and wanting to solve this problem and support each other.
There have been numerous resources published for schools generally, and many countries have set strict laws and policies about handling suspected or witnessed abuse of students. However, there was a gap in the resources and support offered to international school communities, who are often operating in cultures with laws and practices around safeguarding children that differ from their home country. Additionally, recruiting organizations who serve international schools had different and sometimes insufficient practices for screening candidates.
Since its inception in 2013, ISS has been a founding and active member of the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP) in international schools, led by Jane Larsson and CIS. That task force, comprised of experts in child protection, senior leaders in schools, law enforcement agencies, recruiting company representatives and members of school accreditation bodies, came together to build a shared understanding of the problem, a vision for sharing and adapting global best practices, and developing structured action plans.
Maybe most importantly, the world-renowned organization the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) worked with the task force to host an online Education Portal providing open source resources and tools for educators worldwide.
With foresight and significant investment, this collective effort is creating positive, sustainable change in schools – truly achieving cultures of child protection – based on and leveraging the shared wisdom and experience of the group.
We are very proud to have been involved in such an amazing effort that has truly begun to change child protection practices and school culture around the world. Senior ISS leaders Laura Light (Director of Global Recruitment) and Dr. Paul DeMinico (retired Vice President Administrative Searches) helped lead the task force’s committee on enhancing recruiting practices.
All of ISS managed schools are required to address child protection in holistic ways, and encouraged to share learning and resources as improved practices are implemented. Some ISS schools have participated in presenting their child protection journeys at global conferences, and we have senior staff dedicated to helping ensure we continue to strive for and meet best practices.
We are pleased to share the following information, sent from ICMEC, who have recently published updates on this effort and the portal. Specifically, we ask you to:
• Share examples of effective practice with them.
• Continue to keep child protection topics on the front burner in interactions with your staff.
• Provide virtual introductions and share the link EdPortal.ICMEC.org
• Highlight new resources on social media feeds or request blog posts from them addressing child protection topics.
• Let them know about your needs and those of your client community.