British Council Launches Global Safeguarding Toolkit to Standardize School Protection Practices
Event summary
- British Council launches a global Safeguarding Toolkit on March 25, 2026, developed with UNICEF support.
- Toolkit aims to close the 'policy on paper' gap by providing clear roles, shared thresholds, and consistent escalation routes.
- Rolling out across 2,500+ British Council Partner Schools worldwide, reaching nearly 1.7 million students.
- Toolkit addresses fast-moving risks like peer-on-peer harm, mental health concerns, and AI-enabled abuse.
The big picture
The launch of the Safeguarding Toolkit comes amid growing concerns over online and offline risks in educational settings, including peer-on-peer violence and mental health issues. With UNICEF estimating 150 million students experiencing peer-to-peer violence globally, the Toolkit represents a strategic move to standardize safeguarding practices across British Council's international network. The initiative underscores the increasing need for systematic approaches to child protection in an era of complex, often invisible threats.
What we're watching
- Implementation Success
- Whether the Toolkit can effectively translate safeguarding policy into everyday practice across diverse cultural and legal contexts.
- Scalability Challenges
- The pace at which the Toolkit can be adapted and implemented in over 40 countries with varying educational infrastructures.
- Impact Measurement
- How the British Council will track and report the Toolkit's effectiveness in reducing safeguarding incidents and improving student safety.