The requirements of schools and school boarding premises to create strategies to promote child empowerment and participation are not new, they were required under clause 13 of MO 870. However, the new Ministerial Order 1359 (MO 1359) goes further and specifies broader and more extensive obligations in clause 7.
The clauses of the MO 1359 align with the new 2022 Child Safe Standards (2022 CSS), but apply these standards directly to schools and school boarding premises. Clause 7.1 of MO 1359 restates CSS 3: schools and school boarding premises must ensure that children, young people and students are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
A specific example of the increased specificity of how schools must meet CSS 3 can be found in MO 1359 clause 7.5, which says: school governing authorities must develop curriculum planning documents or other documentation that detail the strategies and actions the school will take to implement 2022 CSS 3.
To assist you in understanding the new requirements regarding empowerment of students we have created a comparison table:
| MO 870 Clause 13 | MO 1359 Clause 7 |
|---|
Strategies to promote child empowerment and participation
(1) The school governing authority must develop strategies to deliver appropriate education about:
a) standards of behaviour for students attending the school;
b) healthy and respectful relationships (including sexuality);
c) resilience; and
d) child abuse awareness and prevention.
(2) The school governing authority must promote the child safety standards required by this Order in ways that are readily accessible, easy to understand, and user-friendly to children. | Child and student empowerment
The school governing authority or school boarding premises governing authority must, at a minimum, ensure:
a) children and students are informed about all of their rights, including to safety, information and participation.
b) the importance of friendships is recognised and support from peers is encouraged, to help children and students feel safe and be less isolated.
c) staff and volunteers are attuned to signs of harm and facilitate child-friendly ways for children and students to express their views, participate in decision-making and raise their concerns.
d) schools and school boarding premises have strategies in place to develop a culture that facilitates participation and is responsive to the input of children and students.
e) schools and school boarding premises provide opportunities for children and students to participate and are responsive to their contributions to strengthen confidence and engagement (clause 7.2).
The school governing authority and school boarding premises governing authority (where relevant) must ensure students are offered access to sexual abuse prevention programs and to relevant related information in an age-appropriate way (clause 7.3 & 7.4).
The school governing authority or school boarding premises governing authority must develop curriculum planning documents or other documentation that details the strategies and actions the school or school boarding premises will take to implement (clause 7.5). |
Some of the new changes include a specific obligation on schools and school boarding premises to provide age-appropriate sexual abuse prevention programs and the development of curriculum planning documents to implement the new standards.
How we can help
Moores has previously provided advice on the changes between the old child safety standards and the new ones, to be introduced on 1 July 2022. You can read that advice here.
Moores is able to assist you with training and child empowerment policies, to embed a culture of child safety at your school and school boarding premises.
Contact us
Please contact us for more detailed and tailored help.
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