Child Protection Policy

What this page is — and is not

This policy describes how we place, teach, message and record learners under 18 in our live online rooms. It sits next to our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Refunds page. Those four pages together are the written rules.

We are a live online English school in Kolkata, not a child-welfare authority, counsellor or hospital. We do not claim a safeguarding certificate, an NCPCR licence, a COPPA seal, a GDPR children’s-privacy badge, or any other official stamp. We still follow the rules below for every learner under 18, in India or outside India.

Adult rooms only

The live catalogue is Spoken English, Interactive Speaking, Business English and Interview Preparation. We do not offer career counselling. All of those rooms are for learners 15+.

We do not currently run Spoken English for Kids or Spoken English for Teens. A child under 15 is not placed in an adult batch. For children, look at a dedicated kids platform.

India — the laws we treat as the floor

We are based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Classes are online and open to learners outside India. The contract is governed by Indian law. For under-18 learners we treat the following Indian laws as the floor, not a marketing list:

• The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023: a parent or guardian consents to our use of a child’s information to run the class. We do not use that information to show ads.
• The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO): sexual offences against anyone under 18 are crimes. We do not tolerate them. Where the law requires a report, we will report.
• The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015: we are not a childcare institution. If we reasonably believe a child is in need of care and protection, we may contact the parent and, where required, the appropriate authority.
• The Information Technology Act, 2000 and the rules made under it, for online content and the handling of electronic records.
• The Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, in the sense that a parent may approach NCPCR or a State Commission if they believe a child’s rights were ignored. This page does not replace that right.

Published fees are India pricing

The prices in these pages, in search results, and in this policy are India pricing, in Indian Rupees, inclusive of taxes. They are the fees for learners in India. They are not the fee for a learner outside India. That fee is confirmed on WhatsApp before payment. This file and the public pages do not publish a second currency for search engines or answer engines.

We do not claim compliance with the US COPPA rule, the EU GDPR children’s provisions, the UK Age Appropriate Design Code, or any other foreign children’s-privacy regime, and we do not display a badge for them. We still apply the stricter of our own rules and a non-waivable child-protection rule in the child’s country. Our own rules are stricter than a simple age-13 cutoff: we do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13, and we do not enrol anyone under 15, anywhere. A 15-to-17-year-old needs a parent or guardian on the enrolment, in India or outside India. The contract remains under Indian law and Kolkata courts, subject to any right that cannot be waived.

Who is in which room

Adult English rooms: 15+, batches of about 6, 1 hr 30 min, up to 2 classes/week.

A 15–17-year-old may join an adult Spoken room only with the parent on WhatsApp and a clear written confirmation. We will not mix under-15s into adult rooms.

The parent is the customer when the learner is under 18

Fees, WhatsApp, timetable and class recordings sit on the parent’s or guardian’s number. The learner does not need a phone. The parent takes the free consultation on WhatsApp (counselling — not a class) and must enrol and pay if the learner is under 18.

We do not open a private chat with a learner under 18 on a number the parent does not control. If a teenager messages us from their own phone, we still copy the parent on enrolment, fees and recordings.

How class is kept safe

For a 15–17-year-old in an adult room, the parent is informed of the slot and may sit in.

No 1:1 video with a learner under 18 unless the parent stays on the call. Group classes are the default. We do not offer career counselling.

Teachers do not ask a learner under 18 to turn off the camera so they are alone, to share passwords, or to move to a different app the parent has not agreed to.

Photos, recordings and marketing

We do not publish under-18 photos or class recordings on this website, on ads, or on social media as a default. A live class is recorded so that batch can revise. Recordings are for that batch and that parent, not for the public.

We do not run ads aimed at children. We do not sell a child’s information. We do not use a child’s name, face or voice in marketing unless a parent gives a separate, specific written yes for that use — and even then we prefer not to.

What teachers and staff must do

Treat every under-18 learner with ordinary professional care. Keep WhatsApp on the parent’s number. Do not arrange private 1:1 video without the parent. Do not share recordings outside the batch. Raise a concern instead of hoping it goes away.

How to raise a concern

Message +91 96744 79949 on WhatsApp or email info@learnwithsmile.app. Name the learner only as needed, the batch, the date, and what happened. We reply 10am–midnight IST every day. The Grievance Officer is Soumyakanta Bera. The contact block is at the end of this page.

If we reasonably believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, we may contact the parent and, where Indian law requires it, the police or a child-welfare authority, even if you asked us not to. We will not promise secrecy that the law does not allow.

A parent may also approach the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a State Commission, or the police. This school is not those bodies.

If this policy is broken

We may pause a seat, move a learner, refuse a later month, or end a teacher’s work on a batch. That is in addition to whatever the law requires. We do not run a public disciplinary scoreboard.

Grievance Officer

Our Grievance Officer is Soumyakanta Bera. Under the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, you may send a complaint about this website, a consultation, enrolment, a fee or a refund to the Grievance Officer. The same officer receives privacy complaints. We acknowledge complaints within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.

• Name: Soumyakanta Bera
• Address: 108 Shri Krishna Nagar, Kolkata 700056, West Bengal, India
• Email: info@learnwithsmile.app
• Phone / WhatsApp: +91 96744 79949

Changes

We may update this policy when our rooms or the law change. The date at the top is the latest version. Material changes that affect an under-18 learner will be messaged to the parent on WhatsApp.