Al-Ahsa Education Department: Training 500 leaders on child protection protocols 1919
In a strategic move aimed at strengthening the resilience of the school environment, the General Directorate of Education in Al-Ahsa Governorate launched a new phase of intensive field coordination to protect children. This initiative began with a specialized meeting that brought together 500 school principals and vice-principals. The meeting aimed to equip school leaders with precise legal and procedural tools for handling cases of abuse and to familiarize them with the rapid intervention mechanisms adopted by the Family Protection Center, ensuring a safe educational environment free from psychological and physical threats.
National context for promoting children's rights
This educational initiative in Al-Ahsa aligns with the general direction of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its Vision 2030, which has placed great emphasis on the rights of children and families, enacting stringent legislation such as the Child Protection Law and the Protection from Abuse Law. Schools are considered the first line of defense in detecting cases of neglect or violence, given the significant amount of time students spend in the school environment. This makes training educational staff in monitoring and reporting protocols an urgent necessity, not merely a routine procedure.
Strategic partnership between education and family protection
The Director General of Education in Al-Ahsa, Tawashi Al-Kinani, commended this initiative led by the Student Guidance Department, emphasizing that the meeting embodies vital cooperation between educational institutions and security and social agencies. He pointed out that unifying efforts between schools and protection centers aims to provide the highest levels of stability for families and children, which positively impacts students' academic achievement and psychological well-being.
Procedural roadmap and the “1919” mechanism
During the meeting, Saud Al-Hulaibi, Director of Operations for Family Protection Centers in the Eastern Province, reviewed the procedural roadmap for handling reports. Al-Hulaibi explained that the protection process begins immediately upon receiving a call via the unified number "1919," moving directly to the stage of security coordination and, if necessary, immediate field deployment.
Al-Hulaibi explained that the adopted protocol is characterized by accuracy and rigor, as it does not stop at mere monitoring, but includes a series of steps that include:
- Taking official statements.
- Summoning and personal interview to assess the level of risk.
- Formulating a court intervention plan in coordination with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the case.
Continuous monitoring and file closure
Al-Hulaibi stressed that the closure of the report file is only done after a careful stage of continuous follow-up and comprehensive documentation, and full assurance that the danger has disappeared and that all regulatory procedures that preserve the rights of the child and the family have been completed, thus ensuring that violations are not repeated.
Sustainability of awareness and training
For her part, the Director of the Student Guidance Department, Ibtisam Al-Driwish, revealed that this awareness campaign is not a one-off event, but rather part of a series of high-quality programs scheduled throughout the academic year. These programs aim to enhance the skills of those working in the educational field and empower them to perform their educational and protective roles with high professionalism, ensuring optimal handling of any emergency that students may face.
The meeting witnessed broad interaction from the school leaders present, as the door was opened for transparent discussion to answer field inquiries, reflecting the keenness of the educational system in Al-Ahsa to apply protection standards in accordance with the latest official regulations adopted in the Kingdom.
