Only 60 percent of children around the world feel absolutely safe at school, a study found. Around a third (28 per cent) of children said that being safe at school meant the freedom from risk physical or emotional abuse. This response was especially prominent in developing countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia and Zambia.

The survey, conducted by the NGO, ChildFund Alliance, found a range of factors that affect children’s faith in security at school. These include quality of the educational facilities, violence or abuse, security protocols and teachers who can be both trusted and respected. The survey was conducted on 6,226 children from developed and developing nations across the globe.

About 58 per cent of students in India said that feeling safe at school meant that school facilities were kept clean, safe and in good repair, according to the survey. This falls within the global 17 per cent who mentioned that school facilities were the biggest hindrances.

Additionally, 43 per cent of student from around the world surveyed said that they would only feel safe if security measures are in place at school.

When asked how they would improve the education sector if they were leaders of the country, nearly half of the surveyed said they would build or renovate school facilities and create quality learning environments. This was the biggest response from children of developing countries.

For Asia, this was closely followed by a need to provide greater financial support to schools and students. A majority of students from the African continent believed that the next most important thing was to improve quality of teaching. They felt that there was a requirement of more staff who are better payed and trained in child-friendly methodologies.

Meanwhile, 43 per cent of children from developed nations felt that the best thing to do as leaders would be to modernize class curriculum to include sports, creative arts and greater student participation.