‘The Bangladesh Safeguarding Summit’ was held organized by British Council at its auditorium on Fuller Road in the capital on Sunday with the participation of security experts and leading people from different schools. The ‘B-Safe’ campaign was launched from the conference. The issue of ensuring the formation and practice of international standards for the protection of school children came up in the discussion. During the discussion, Haileyberry Valuka and other participating schools stressed the importance of ensuring a safe and happy environment for every school to meet the changing needs of the country.
Speakers at the event included Simon O’Grady, founder and headmaster of Haileyberry Valuka; Tom Misiosia, Country Director of the British Council; and Emily Constantus, CEO of the UK’s Safeguarding Alliance. The speakers agreed to appoint trained experts on safety in schools, and committed to implementing international safety policies through the organization ‘B-SAFE’ (Bangladesh SafeGuarding Alliance for Educators). They also agreed to ensure policy and best practices with the support of ‘The Safeguarding Alliance’, an international organization working at the government level to build a country-based national security system.
Tom Mishsha, Director, British Council Bangladesh, said, “At the British Council, we believe that it is the responsibility of all of us to ensure safety. We are delighted to host this symposium where we have the opportunity to hear from experts from the government and the private sector, a network of partner schools and the UK’s Safeguarding Alliance about our shared goals on safety and the direction to move forward towards that goal. As a result of this event, we are hopeful that its continuity will extend even further; Our cooperation will continue to create a safe environment where neither children nor adults are at risk.”
Emily Constantus, CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Safeguarding Alliance of the United Kingdom, delivered the keynote address. His presentation focused on legal infrastructure and international safety standards, particularly best practices for UK schools and guidelines for its use.
The British Council’s safety team explained how to ensure a culture of safety. The important element of an effective culture of security and the importance of developing such a culture was highlighted.
Professor Dr AQM Shafiqul Azam, Director of Planning and Development of the Department of Secondary and Higher Education, said, “We have relevant policies and frameworks for the protection of students in educational institutions. In this case, we have the Policy on Prevention of Bullying/Ragging in Our Educational Institutions-2023 and ‘Guidelines for Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions’. And it is the collective responsibility to apply these principles and frameworks in real life. We are working with the utmost priority to ensure safety in these matters; For example, we have specific helpline numbers to report any incidents related to violence against girls and women. We are committed to ensuring equal access to education for all so that no one is left behind.”
Simon O’Grady, founding headteacher of Haileyberry Bear, said: “If we want to excel in education, we must focus on the safety and well-being of pupils. As a leading institution in education, it is our responsibility to ensure the best system of student safety and international standards in all schools. Our commitment to ensuring safe schools is universal and no concessions will be made.”
Zahura Begum, principal of Udayan Higher Secondary School, said, “We have to ensure that every educational institution is safe not only for the students but also for the teachers, parents and support staff. At school, we are working to establish a culture where we are able to protect each other from harassment and violence.”