Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who has recently been appointed UNICEF's Celebrity Advocate for the global campaign EVAC (Ending Violence Against Children), has said that teachers can play a vital role in identifying and protecting children who are vulnerable to violence in schools.
Talking about the role of teachers in children's lives, Ayushmann said, "Teachers and schools have an important formative influence in the lives of children, as they spend a substantive part of the day across several years with them. We have been through that phase when whatever teachers tell us is at times placed on a higher value than even the advice of our parents. Teachers therefore have a great responsibility in ensuring schools are safe and trusted zones for children."
He added, "It means dealing with all forms of violence within school premises and making schools inclusive. Teachers also play an important role in educating children about personal safety from a very young age, providing them information and support for reporting any uncomfortable experience, thus ensuring that schools can be places children can feel safe."