Managing Risk and Security in the International School (joint with PTC) - BTC 106



This course can be taken for full credit towards a BTC certificate or or 1/2 credit towards a PTC certificate in category 4. A BTC 4 day course may also be taken for 1/2 credit toward the PTC certificate.

In June 2015the International Task Force on Child Protection published a draft list of recommendations for international schools to follow when building or updating a Child Protection program.  At the core of these recommendations was the statement that “schools have a duty of care to protect children and prevent them from harm, and act with a sense of urgency if a child is at risk of harm.”  In the near future international schools will likely face increased accreditation standards for their “duty of care” and Child Protection programs.  The best way to address any new or enhanced standards and indicators will be in the context of their overall comprehensive and integrated risk mitigation program.   

This course will prepare participants to better address and manage a comprehensive risk mitigation program that encompasses the critical components of Child Protection, safety, security, and emergency preparedness planning.

Participants will also:

  • Understand their role in risk management at their school

  • Learn how to build and manage an effective Child Protection program

  • Study the best practices for managing international school “duty of care” programs

  • Participate in an end-of-course “table top” emergency preparedness training exercise

  • Identify threats and hazards that international schools face

  • Learn how to prevent and mitigate known threats and hazards

  • Develop emergency response protocols for international schools

  • Learn how to build an effective school emergency management team

This interactive course is designed specifically for international school personnel with responsibility for and/or professional development interest in school duty of care programs such as safety, security, Child Protection, or emergency preparedness planning.  It will be of particular interest to Heads, Principals, Assistant Principals, and anyone in or aspiring to be in an international school leadership position.

Essential Questions

  1. What are the key components of a comprehensive school risk mitigation program?

  2. How do safety and security related policies and procedures form the foundation for a successful Child Protection program?

  3. Why is an ongoing collaboration of various faculty and staff leaders critical to an integrated and comprehensive risk mitigation program?

  4. Other than child protection, what are essential parts of a school’s duty of care program?

  5. Who should lead a school’s emergency preparedness team?

  6. How can schools ensure that their Child Protection and duty of care programs meet the minimum standards established by accreditation agencies as well as insurance carriers and governmental bodies?

  7. What role does the Board of Trustees have in a school’s risk management programs?

Web and print resources for this course. (coming soon)