School insurance: What exactly do schools cover?

Posted on Jun 29, 2017 by Luther  | Filed Under: school insurance, schools insurance, school insurance uae, schools insurance uae, child insurance, children insurance, child insurance uae, childrens insurance uae, liability insurance, school liability insurance, public liability insurance, public liability insurance uae, school liability insurance uae, liability insurance uae

With the academic year coming to a close for many northern hemisphere schools, children will be back to creating havoc and chaos around the home. As with any holiday, however, it can be over before you know it, and you’ll be getting a much deserved break when they go back to school. While they’re back at home now, it might be worth looking into something we rarely consider: what does school insurance cover?

School insurance in the UAE

When it comes to insurance for schools, the policies are very much like those you’d see for a professional service firm. Corporate insurance solutions generally include different types of elements from personal, individual insurance, public liability, property and casualty, employee health, and student accident insurance. What your child’s school covers will depend on what they have chosen to pay for.

These pieces of a school’s insurance policy means:

• Public liability: Will cover schools for the amount they are legally liable to pay should they be at fault for an accident or damage occur to another party. This can be from a shelf falling on a contractor on school grounds, through to liability to third-parties where staff may have embezzled school money.
• Student accident: Simply covers accidents that can happen to students whilst on school property, or even when out on school trips.
• Property & casualty: Covers the school for damage incurred to its building and other property, such as computers, sporting equipment and furniture.

As a parent, it can be reassuring to know that your child’s school insurance may provide coverage for any mishaps that may befall students. However, is it better to use your own health insurance or make the school liable?

Liability and responsibility: what are my options?

Kids can be pretty sturdy and you’ll sometimes find yourself amazed at what sort of crazy incidents they can walk away from. However, sometimes unfortunate things happen and your child may require medical attention. In the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, health insurance coverage is mandatory for all people resident and present, so you might be wondering if it’s worth seeking compensation through your insurance or the schools.

There are a number of considerations to make in such circumstances. Let’s say that your child was playing on the playground and, through their own actions, fell and broke their arm. While you might make the argument that school staff could have prevented the accident through closer supervision, it might just simply be that your child had ignored all safety rules and the accident was purely their fault.

Alternatively, what if your child was harmed due to school staff negligence? Say your child and their class are on a school trip and their teacher recommends taking a photo of the children balancing on a reasonably high fence. During the photo, your child falls off and injures themselves and, making matters worse, the teacher tells your child they’ll be okay and they continue the trip despite the accident.

In either case, the choice to hold the school liable is likely always an option. The school pays for school insurance for this very reason, however (like personal insurance) the less they need to make claims the better. Regardless, a school that accepts liability can have insurance coverage organized relatively quickly, and can be relatively stress free for all involved. Objections to liability can lead to litigation however, so always be 100% sure that’s what you want to do.

Seeking insurance compensation through your own personal individual plan is always the much easier option. Not only do you cut out the school as a middleman in claims communication and processing, you’ll also have more control over the care that’s provided. If you’re happy to accept that an accident was the fault of your child, or you simply don’t wish to involve the school in insurance matters, then this can be a better option for all.

Should I check my child’s coverage these school holidays?

Obviously, our answer is a resounding yes. Times like these, where your children are home and you’ve taken leave to both spend time with them and also sort out some home admin, are perfect for reassessing insurance - especially for children. As your children get older, their medical needs may also change so it’s worth checking that the health insurance plan you have for them currently is still a good fit.

If you need advice about insurance for children in the UAE, questions about how else school insurance covers students at school, or you’re ready to look for a better insurance solution, contact the wonderful team at UAE Medical Insurance today! Their expert advisors have been helping both families and international schools find the right insurance fit for almost 20 years.

For a free quote or some friendly advice, contact the team at UAE Medical Insurance.