Child Protection

Prioritizing Your Child's Safety

This commitment means that the interests and welfare of children are the school’s primary consideration when any decision is made about suspected cases of abuse or neglect. We ensure that all children in our care are afforded a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop. Educators, having the opportunity to observe and interact with children over time, are in a unique position to identify children who need help and protection. As such, we have a professional and ethical obligation to identify cases of neglect or abuse and to take steps to ensure that the child and family avail themselves of the services needed to remedy any situation that constitutes abuse or neglect.

Child abuse and neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to the  child's education as well as their physical and emotional development. 

AISG's Child Protection policy is aligned with stated Laws of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Minors. This Law was first approved by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in 1991 with a further amendment in 2016 to protect both the physical and mental health of children and minors. It is based on current legislation and the School has a professional responsibility to comply with it. 

The pillars of child protection at aisg

Our first priority is to provide a safe and healthy environment for students and the entire AISG community. 

Definition of Child Abuse and Neglect

AISG has a diverse community with multiple cultural beliefs, values and practices. To respect the global nature of the community, for the purposes of our child protection policy, the school has chosen to follow the World Health Organization’s (WHO's) definitions of abuse and neglect.

The WHO declares that:
“Child abuse or maltreatment constitutes all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, or negligent treatment, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power.” 

Child Abuse – Child abuse is a serious and complex problem that may occur in the lives of children and young people. It often occurs in environments that are isolated and stressful and affects those who are most vulnerable

Employee Responsibility

School employees are particularly well-placed to observe the outward signs of abuse and the unexplained changes in behavior or performance which may indicate abuse or neglect. Protecting the welfare of children is the role of every professional who comes into contact with children at the American International School of Guangzhou.

Employee responsibility is in knowing how to respond to suspected cases of child abuse and neglect and the understanding the process for reporting a suspected case to the relevant persons. 

All employees of the AISG must report suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect whenever the employee has reasonable cause to believe that a child has suffered, or is at risk of suffering, abuse or neglect. Reporting and follow-up of all suspected incidences of child abuse or neglect will proceed in accordance with procedures connected to this policy. Failure to report any incidences will result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination.

School Responsibility

AISG is responsible for organizing background checks on all personnel regularly on the School’s campuses. It is responsible for organizing training for all employees to support their understanding of child protection and the recognition of abuse or neglect cases. The School is responsible for the structure in which employees report suspected cases of child abuse and how the School formally addresses these reported cases. The school also has the responsibility to communicate any confirmed child protection incidents to a receiving school should an AISG student transition to another school.

Employee Training

The School will develop a training cycle to ensure that all AISG employees, outside vendors, and adults having direct connection to students are trained in child protection. Each year, employees will be trained on the school's child protection policies and procedures by members of the Child Protection Team.  

Child Protection Committee

To facilitate the swift response, investigation, and resulting action(s) regarding any instances of child abuse or neglect, the School has established a Designated Child Protection Officer for the Elementary and Secondary Schools. These critical resources act as the first point of intake to any reporting party and are known as the Child Protection Committee. 

The committee lead is the School’s Child Protection Coordinator. The Child Protection Coordinator is responsible for scheduling regular meetings with the Child Protection Committee and is also responsible for the handling and storage of confidential Child Protection documentation regarding any investigated incidents and outcomes.