CHILD PROTECTION IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS: LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRATEGIES FOR SAFE AND INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Keywords:
Child Protection, Educational Settings, Legal Frameworks, Inclusive Learning and Administrative StrategiesAbstract
This study examines child protection in educational settings: legal and administrative strategies for safe and inclusive learning environment” This study explores the legal and administrative strategies that ensure child protection in educational settings, focusing on how policies, teacher training, school leadership and government oversight to build a protective and inclusive learning atmosphere. Using a mixed-methods research design, the total population comprised 9,500 while the sample consisted 380 respondents selected using stratified random sampling techniques. A self-constructed instrument was used for the study titled: “Child Protection in Schools Questionnaire (CPSQ)”. Face and content validity of the instrument was adjudged. A test-retest method was used to obtain the reliability co-efficient of the instrument. The instrument was administered twice within an interval of two weeks and the data collected was analyzed using Person Product Moment Correction. Reliability co-efficient .84 was obtained. The findings revealed significant correlations between school leadership practices and the effective enforcement of protection policies, as well as between legal awareness and reporting of abuse cases. The study recommends strengthening institutional frameworks, enhancing stakeholder training, and ensuring routine monitoring of child safety policies. Creating inclusive, child-friendly environments requires not only legal provisions but also a cultural shift within school communities. This research contributes to educational policy discourse and offers practical pathways to reinforcing student welfare at both grassroots and systemic levels.
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