Safety has not been stressed adequately in most school systems, leaving students and teachers in unnecessary danger and schools subject to lawsuits. Creation of an effective school safety program involves establishing a written safety policy, appointing an active safety committee, and conducting safety inspections. (PGD)

Compares and contrasts two recent court cases concerning injuries to school children resulting from a lack of adult supervision. Although in Louisiana the courts awarded financial compensation to the family of the injured child, North Carolina courts dismissed the claims of a similar suit. (JBM)

This article is an open letter of a group of early childhood education (ECE) practitioners to Premier Wen Jiabao. This open letter was written with one goal in mind: to ask Premier Wen's government to take measures to protect young children and support early childhood education. These practitioners have become worried about the many accidents that…

This paper presents a viewpoint on educator responsibilities toward helping youth develop the skills necessary to cope with life as well as consideration on how to present science in a safe environment. Discussions include safety in the learning environment, litigation, effective teaching, effective schools, the goals of science, and the mandate…

Teachers should know basic first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the Heimlich maneuver to be able to deal with emergencies immediately. (SK)

An interview with Mark White on his views of playground safety is presented in this article. Some of the featured interview questions include: (1) How did you start to focus so intently on playground safety?; (2) There was no central accumulation of injury information?; (3) What's an example of an injury report that led to an improvement?; (4)…

Examines court decisions in 1995 concerning college and university tort liability in accidents. Issues addressed include defects in premises, inadequate facility maintenance, school policy concerning safety, recreational activities on campuses, student field experience programs, campus activities involving children, operation of campus housing,…

In the development of a school safety program, several steps are important: (1) a strong board of education policy statement; (2) the appointment of a qualified safety professional to implement and coordinate board policy; (3) an accident reporting system; (4) a school safety committee; and (5) a school safety handbook. (GC)

Examines the impact of the 1981 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines for playground safety. Although compliance with the guidelines has not stemmed the rising number of accidents, it has enhanced awareness. This article offers an action plan which all communities can use to help alleviate liability problems. (SM)

The myriad and complex health and safety needs of a college or university campus are discussed. Consideration is given to the demands of fire prevention, accident prevention, food service standards, and the mental and physical well-being of students, faculty, and staff. Structural and architectural concerns of the well-designed campus are…

Presents a crisis plan for schools to enact in emergencies, from the first 30 minutes after the incident to several weeks afterward. Includes: (1) recruiting the entire school staff in the plan's conception; (2) appointing a leader and a group of people responsible for carrying out specific tasks; (3) conducting a full-facility review to address…

Violence in all settings has reached epidemic proportions. Most shootings are committed by friends or relatives following an argument or when playing with guns. The public needs education about nonviolent ways of coping with anger and about the high cost of gun violence. Suggestions for avoiding gun violence and the PTA position on firearms are…

Analyzes several cases involving students with disabilities and assesses how courts determine the supervisory standard of care for disabled students injured on school premises. Explores the extent to which special characteristics of students with disabilities might affect the standard of care owed to such students. (MLF)

Parents generally expect public school districts to provide for their children's care and safety while they are at school. Although in the first half of the twentieth century common law tended to make school officials immune from suit, more recently public school districts, school employees, officers, and elected boards have been successfully sued…

Legal aspects of college teaching and administration are discussed. The faculty and college are liable by tort law for students in three ways: intentional acts or interference, strict liability, and negligence. Intentional acts include improperly installed or dangerous equipment, while strict liability cases usually occur where fault is not…