Often, when people talk about the basics of education, they are referring to the three Rs: reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmetic. There is, however, an even more foundational aspect to educating students is ensuring that schools are safe.
If a school isn't a safe place then it can't be a school as we know it—a place to learn and grow. If a school isn't a safe place it becomes reactive to incidences and teaching and learning become a secondary or forgotten imperative.
And it's not just actual safety that's crucial, but perceived safety. An unsafe school climate increases truancy, reduces classroom engagement, demands inattention, and negatively impacts both teaching and learning. The school's climate—safe or unsafe, supportive or unsupportive, welcoming or confrontational—dictates