Students Protection Policy

Policy on protection of the students
of the branches of autonomous educational organization

«Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools» 1. General provisions

1.autonomous Educational organization «Nazarbayev Intellectual schools», the main activities of which are educational activities (hereinafter - the branches), is a system of basic principles, rules and procedures, aimed at promotion of the physical and psychological well-being of the students of the branches.

2. The legal basis for Policy on the protection of the students of the branches of Autonomous educational organization "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools" (hereinafter - Policy) is the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the UN Convention on the rights of the child, The Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Marriage (Matrimony) and Family, on administrative violations, the Criminal code, Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the rights of the child in the Republic of Kazakhstan" On education", "On status of "Nazarbayev University", "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools" and "Nazarbayev Fund", the Code of professional ethics of teachers and persons equated to them of Autonomous educational organization "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools", The code of ethics of Autonomous educational organization "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools", the Internal regulations for students of the branch of “International school of Astana city" of Autonomous educational organization "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools", the Internal regulations for students of the Nazarbayev Intellectual schools.

2. Principles of the policy on protection of students

3. The main principles of the present Policy are:

1) Personal responsibility. All the employees of the branches comply with rules of ethics in accordance with the internal normative acts of Autonomous educational organization "Nazarbayev Intellectual schools" (hereinafter - AEO). Employees are responsible for assisting in the implementation of the present Policy and are required to take measures to prevent ill-treatment of students of the branches, and to respond to any violation of the provisions of the present Policy.

2) Applicability- The provisions of the present Policy are mandatory for anyone who works with students of the branches.

The present Policy for the protection of the students of the branch of

Approved by the decision

of the Board of AEO

«Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools» dated May 18, 2016 (minutes

No 19)

3) Priority of the interests of the students- In case of problematic situations, the priority is a student, his safety and well-being, and satisfaction of his physical and psychological needs.

4) Tolerance: The Branches of AEO are striving to establish supportive learning and educational environment based on mutual respect of all participants of educational process, understanding and acceptance of socio-economic, cultural, and gender differences.

5) Privacy: All questions concerning the ill-treatment of students, and the investigation of these cases conducted on the basis of ensuring the safety of students and privacy of information.

6) Timeliness: Consideration and response to the complaints on ill- treatment of students are timely envisaged.

7) Cooperation: In order to ensure compliance with the present Policy, the branches work with the legitimate representatives of students and other stakeholders, and authorities for the protection of children under the legal age, law

enforcement bodies.

3. Definition of abuse and types of abuse

4. Child abuse — the action or inaction of lawful representatives and other persons causing damage to physical, psychological health of pupils. It covers all types of physical and psychological abuse, sexual violence, neglect of basic pupils’ needs, negligence, child pornography, and the cases occurring in view of incompetency of parents because of a mental illness or substance abuse. (alcoholic, drug addiction, etc.).

5. These are the following forms of child abuse:
1) Physical abuse is an intentional physical harm to the pupil. Forms of

physical abuse can include blows, jolting, throwing, poisoning, arson, drowning, or any other physical abuse to the pupil. The physical abuse includes pupil’s involvement in taking drugs, alcohol, the toxic agents or medical preparations causing a befuddling (for example, the hypnotic drugs which aren't prescribed by the doctor), cases in which lawful representatives and/or other adults inform on theabsence of pupils’ symptoms or diseases, and/or purposely cause symptoms or diseases in pupils and other cases.

2) Psychological violence is the periodic or continuous influence leading to formation of pathological traits of character and to violation of mental development of pupils. Forms of psychological violence can include hostile relation, humiliation, including public humiliation, ridicule, intimidation, threats of commission of violence over the pupil or his relatives, living in danger, , unreasonable free movement restriction of the pupil, unreasonable restriction or prohibition of social contacts with his peers or adults in his environment, deprivation of the pupil’s right to have views, feelings, desires, formation of

behavior which isn't corresponding to the level of its development, etc. Irrespective of a form, any abuse includes a certain degree of psychological violence.

3) sexual violence — is a pupil’s involvement with an adult and/or other pupil in order of actions of sexual character by means of violence, threats or by breach of confidence that can do harm to his physical or mental health. Forms of sexual violence can include physical contact (a kiss, sexual act, etc.) and contactless actions (involvement of pupils in viewing of sexual character images, training of the pupil for sexual coercion, including through any means of connection), etc.

4) Neglect basic needs of the pupil — it is a continuous or periodic non- execution by lawful representatives on obligations for satisfaction of needs of the pupil in development, food and home, medical care and safety, etc. owing to the objective reasons (family economic and social situation, mental diseases, inexperience) and without those that leads to deterioration of pupil’s health anddevelopment violation. Lack of affection, love, care demonstration from his parents and other legal representatives is also considered as neglect.

5) Persecution (bullying) is a deliberate offensive behavior that is shown systematically concerning the pupil from other pupils and/or adults. Bullying forms: physical persecution (beating, spoiling of property, etc.), verbal (sneers, offensive messages, name callings, and other), psychological (humiliations, threats, ignoring, isolation from group, or class, and other), sexual (undesirable physical contact or offensive comments, etc.), cyberbullying (prosecution of the victim, distribution of the gossips about him/her defamation and offensive messages by mobile phones, e- mail, social networks, blogs, chats, etc., display and departure of rough or cruel text messages, ridiculing of victim online, sharing of personal information, a photo or video, etc.).

6) Exploitation of pupils is a compulsion of the pupil to work or to do other activities for the good of other persons or organizations, and also use of work of pupils by administration and employees of school in a contradiction with statutory rules and regulations, the purposes and the principles of educational process. Damnification to education, including low attendance of the lessons, to progress, to physical, mental health of the pupil, and also his moral, social and emotional development can be consequences of such actions. Measures of educational nature, and also programs directed to education of diligence, respect for work labor training in branches and houses aren't exploitation of pupils.

6. Possible signs of abuse can be:
1) Inexplicable or repeated damages on the pupil's body, bruises, wounds, cuts in uncharacteristic places, and also traces of slaps in the face, compression, etc.;
2) Description of the pupil about adults involved in a violent action;

3) Description of pupil about an adult/pupil involved in violent action with another child;
4) Inexplicable changes in behavior and mentality of the pupil when the pupil becomes very silent, suppressed, closed, or are noticed sudden fits of anger, unwillingness to study or be engaged in something;

  1. 5)  Inappropriate sexual awareness;

  2. 6)  Sexually frank behavior;

  3. 7)  Signs of diseases which are transmitted only sexually;

  4. 8)  Mistrust to adults, in particular to whom trusting relationships is a norm;

  5. 9)  Difficulties in making friends;

  6. 10)  Changes in food habits, overeating or malnutrition, noticeable fluctuations in

weight;
11) Untidy appearance, including shabby, dirty clothes, clothes that are not appropriate to the season, dirty nails, hair, and other;

  1. 12)  Decrease of pupil’s progress at school;

  2. 13)  Presence of fatigue, sluggishness;

  3. 14)  Persistence in the relations with adults in search of attention and kindness;

  4. 15)  Bad health condition, frequent diseases, including headaches, pains in

stomach, difficulties with sleeping, other;

  1. 16)  Lack of desire to communicate, aspiration to loneliness;

  2. 17)  Loss of personal things;

  3. 18)  Other signs.

    4. Measures to be taken in response to cases of child abuse

    7. The report on cases of child abuse includes information and/or suspicions

on child abuse from workers, other pupils of school, legal representatives or other persons out of school.

8. Warning signs to note on cases of child abuse are:
1) The report of the pupil about perpetration of violent action concerning him/her;
2) the report of the pupil about perpetration of violent action concerning other pupil;
3) report of employees about perpetration of violent action concerning the pupil of school or suspicion on such actions;
4) report of employees of parents and other legal representatives or other persons about perpetration of violent action concerning the pupil of school or suspicion on such actions.

9. The pupil of school who is the victim of child abuse can address the employees of school, other pupils of school, legal representatives and other persons. Workers and pupils of branch, legal representatives of pupils who were reported and/or they became witnesses or know about any incident of child abuse or suspicions on the child abuse happening in school, out of school or the house shall report without delay about it to the pupil's curator, the assistant of the teacher

and/or the deputy for educational work, the Principal of branch, AEO. Telephone/ email

Curator/assistant teacher Homeroom teacher

Deputy Director for educational work

Principal of the branch

10. Procedures to be followed by branch administration when receiving information on child abuse of branch:
1) to isolate the injured pupil from the person suspected on child abuse, and also to provide the safe and comfortable environment for the injured pupil;

  1. 2)  if necessary to give medical aid and psychological help to the victim;

  2. 3)  to interview the pupil about the incident in the presence of school

psychologist with the verbal notification of legal representative of the pupil, in the absence of accusations about child abuse from the legal representative;

  1. 4)  to report to AEO;

  2. 5)  if necessary to report to institutions that safeguard the rights of minors, law

enforcement authorities.

11. In case of receiving the information on child abuse from workers and/or other pupils of school, the problem is considered according to regulations of AEO. If necessary, information is given to institutions that safeguard the rights of minors, law enforcement authorities.

12. During conversation/questioning the victim, pupil, it is necessary for employees of branches:

  1. 1)  to keep calm;

  2. 2)  To listen to the pupil attentively;

  3. 3)  to convince the pupil that he has done the right thing, having reported about

what had happened;

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4) to ask minimum questions, necessary only for clarification of the situation, to avoid requests to repeat what was told, and also to avoid "directing" actions of the pupil, not to put forward own ideas, assumptions and conclusions;

  1. 5)  not to stop the pupil to reproduce important points;

  2. 6)  to notify the pupil that it is necessary to inform on current situation the

minimum number of persons for rendering help to the pupil and the solution of the problem;
7) to write down all the information word by word as it has been reported by the pupil;

  1. 8)  to make the written protocol;

  2. 9)  to provide information to the administration of the school, АEО.

    13. The employee of the school who will show an initiative and will report

the facts of child abuse or based on reliable information will make accusation concerning activities of school, behavior of colleagues which can risk pupils, cause child abuse, can expect protection against persecution and/or disciplinary actions from administration of school.

5. Prevention of child abuse cases in the branch

14. Employees of branches for safety of pupils, and for prevention of child abuse cases should not:

  1. 1)  Invite pupils to their home;

  2. 2)  Invite pupils to café, restaurants, clubs and other public places, except for

places where educational activities organized by the school are held;

3) to make inappropriate (unacceptable) physical contact, except cases of nonviolent action which include:

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use of restrictions for prevention of harm to the pupil or other pupils; removal with use of reasonable force of potentially dangerous objects or the pupil from a dangerous situation;
a consolation, for example, a hand on a shoulder, a back or a hand, etc., drawing attention by light slap on a shoulder, etc;
to post pictures or videos of students on social media without their parent’s consent.
to post comments of sexual character on social networks, mass media (e.g:

4)
WhatsApp, Viber, VK, Facebook and other messengers), as well as during the face- to face conversation;
5) to use text, electronic messages or other informational technologies towards the pupil with the sexual intentions;
6) to take and distribute obscene photos of pupils, including digital photos and other materials;

  1. 7)  to intimidate, threaten, to create the atmosphere of fear in a class etc.;

  2. 8)  to stay idle in case of threat of physical harm or danger, and also in situations

of the emergency reaction and need of ensuring access to medical care; 9) to evince discrimination in any form;

10) to execute any forms of sexual, physical and psychological abuse (including attempts);
11) to humiliate self-respect of pupils and to apply inappropriate punishments, for example, to make the pupil stand in the corner, to use sarcastic comments and statements, etc.

15. Students of branches shouldn’t:
1) evince discrimination in any form;
2) use inappropriate, offensive statements to other pupils, their parents and other legal representatives and relatives;

  1. 3)  do harm to health and physical state, and also to property of pupils;

  2. 4)  intimidate, threaten other pupils, to create the atmosphere of fear and

isolation in a class.

16. During participation in extracurricular activities of AEO, employees of branches have to provide necessary control of pupils for ensuring their safety. If the held event assumes obvious risk (educational, training actions) it is necessary to consider carefully a ratio of the controlling workers to pupils (according to total pupils and their gender). Pupils need to give precise instructions on time, place and expected behavior, and also on appearance.

6. Responsibility

17. Workers and pupils of branches, legal representatives and other persons are responsible for child abuse, and also for concealment of information on child abuse, providing false information and accusation according to the approved regulations AEO and the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

7. Concluding Provisions

18. The administration of branches informs employees of branches, pupils and their legal representatives with the present Policy.

19. Points not covered by this Policy are regulated according to the approved regulations of AEO and the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.