All schools to teach Stay Safe programme

ALL primary schools are to be required to teach a self- protection programme that helps pupils recognise and avoid abusive situations.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has indicated he will make the Stay Safe programme – already taught in up to 85% of the country’s 3,300 primary schools – made mandatory as part of revised child protection guidelines for schools.

Stay Safe is used as part of the social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum. It teaches children to recognise an unsafe situation and tell an adult about it, how to respond to unwanted touching and to be aware it is all right to say ‘no’ if asked to do something wrong or dangerous.