Senior Associate John Ritter represented Search Associates at the Near East South Asia (NESA) Council of Overseas School Leadership Conference in Athens, Greece on October 17-21, 2018. Attending were hundreds of educators from international schools in the NESA region—Egypt to Bangladesh—and beyond.
John led a workshop called, "Improving Child Protection through Purposeful Recruiting Practices." The workshop group reviewed the recruitment recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection (ITFCP), identified those recommendations which appear to be most difficult to implement well, and discussed possible ways to help schools improve in those areas.
Jane Larsson, Executive Director of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and Chair of the Task Force, also presented "Child Abuse Risks and Realities—what international school leaders need to know." (Above photo is from this workshop.) Jane presented and explained the Protocol for Managing Allegations of Child Abuse by Educators and Other Adults, which the Task Force completed in September, 2018. This is an important step forward. It gives schools the expert guidance, structure, and procedures needed to respond more professionally and confidently when allegations arise.
For many more resources to help your school protect your students, go to the Education Portal of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC).
Three keynote speakers at the conference led their own three-hour workshops as well. Joelle Killion facilitated the plenary panel on School Change: Innovations, Opportunities & Transformational Learning. Eeqbal Hassim addressed Education in Intercultural/Transcultural Contexts. And Donna Orem spoke on the Third Education Revolution, a world of continuous learning, “not bound by geography nor driven by traditional ‘careers.’”
Time for networking, relaxing, sightseeing, and celebrating was scheduled at sundown. On Thursday, participants were invited to the Acropolis View Reception at the Intercontinental Hotel. The second night was free for guests to explore Athens. On the third evening, NESA hosted a gala to celebrate its 50th year.
Search Associates appreciates the opportunity to learn from and support school leaders, especially with regards to child welfare and safety.
