This guide combines published research on child development with Debsie’s own teaching experience, feedback from parents, observations from certified teachers, and publicly shared student outcomes.
Debsie publicly shares examples of student outcomes and parent testimonials on our Student Outcomes & Parent Testimonials page, including puzzle milestones, tournament participation, rating improvement, school results, and parent feedback.
At Debsie, child safety is not a secondary policy. It is the foundation on which every class, every teacher relationship, and every parent interaction is built.
Debsie is an online learning platform where children learn chess and other subjects from experienced teacher partners. Like several other learning platforms and academies, including platforms such as Premier Chess Academy, Upstep Academy, and CircleChess, Debsie works with partner educators. This means our teachers are not employees of Debsie. They are independent teacher partners who bring their own teaching experience, subject knowledge, and classroom style to the students they teach.
However, this does not make child safety optional, flexible, or secondary.
At Debsie, we believe that once trust is violated, nothing else matters. A child may improve in chess, win tournaments, solve difficult puzzles, or develop sharper thinking skills — but none of that matters if the child and parent do not feel safe, respected, and protected throughout the learning journey. That is why Debsie treats child safety as one of the most important aspects of the platform.
Our Teacher Partner Standards
Debsie works with chess teachers who are FIDE-rated / FIDE-certified and have strong teaching experience, including experience teaching through other platforms, academies, or learning environments. This matters because parents should not have to guess whether the person teaching their child has real chess credibility or experience working with students. We welcome students to ask for the public FIDE ID of their teacher at anytime.
FIDE registration is also publicly verifiable. Parents and students are always free to ask a Debsie chess teacher for their FIDE ID. Since a FIDE ID is linked to a public profile, parents can use it to confirm the teacher’s FIDE registration independently.
We encourage parents to ask questions. We encourage transparency. We believe that a parent should never feel awkward about verifying the credentials of someone teaching their child. Furthermore, parents may ask for the full-month’s fee refund, whenever they want. We have a no-questions asked refund policy.
Parent Visibility from the Free Trial Onward
For online classes, Debsie creates a shared WhatsApp group from the start of the free trial. This group generally includes the parent, the teacher partner, and Debsie’s Class Manager. The group remains active from the free trial through the period in which the student continues studying at Debsie.
This shared group is important because it keeps communication visible. Scheduling, class updates, learning materials, reminders, and other class-related messages can be shared in one common space instead of through scattered or private channels.
Debsie’s Class Manager monitors the group conversation to help prevent spam links, spam messages, inappropriate communication, or any untoward content from being sent or received. The goal is not to interfere with normal teacher-parent communication. The goal is to maintain a safe, transparent, and class-focused environment.
Parents are also free to remain involved in the learning process. We encourage parents to be present during classes, especially for younger children or new students. Parents may sit beside the child, observe the class, ask questions before or after lessons, and stay informed about what their child is learning.
Class Recording and Child Privacy
Debsie does not record classes.
This is intentional. Children’s privacy is extremely important, and privacy expectations and child-protection laws vary across countries. To respect child privacy and reduce unnecessary collection of children’s personal data, Debsie does not record online classes on its end.
However, parents are welcome to be present during classes. Parents may also freely record the classes on their own end if they wish to keep a personal record, review the lesson later, or monitor the learning experience more closely.
This approach gives parents control while limiting Debsie’s collection and storage of child-related video data.
Student Data Protection
Debsie does not sell student data.
A student’s address is kept private. Parent phone numbers are also kept private except where they need to be shared with teacher partners for the limited purpose of scheduling classes and sharing learning materials in the common WhatsApp group.
Debsie’s approach is simple: information should only be used for the purpose of helping the child learn safely and smoothly. Parents trust learning platforms with sensitive information, and Debsie treats that trust seriously.
What Parents Can Do If They Feel Uncomfortable
Parents should never ignore discomfort. If something feels wrong, confusing, inappropriate, or unsafe, parents should contact Debsie immediately.
Parents can submit a complaint by calling or messaging:
(+91) 9123003057
Parents do not need to submit evidence to raise a child-safety concern. We understand that in many cases, a parent may feel uncomfortable, worried, or unsure even before they have screenshots, recordings, or formal proof. Debsie does not want parents to feel burdened with proving their concern before being heard.
If a parent raises a complaint regarding a teacher’s conduct, Debsie will refund that month’s fees completely and remove the teacher from the student’s classes. No evidence required. And no questions asked.
This is part of our child-safety-first approach. Our priority is not to argue with parents or force a child to continue with a teacher after trust has been damaged. Our priority is to protect the child’s learning environment and restore the parent’s confidence.
Why We Take a Strict Approach
Children learn best when they feel safe. A child who feels anxious, uncomfortable, or unsupported cannot fully focus on learning. A parent who feels uncertain about the teacher or communication process cannot fully trust the class.
At Debsie, safety is not limited to preventing extreme situations. It also means building a learning environment where communication is transparent, parents are included, teacher credentials can be verified, student data is protected, and concerns are taken seriously.
That is why we maintain parent-teacher-Debsie communication groups. That is why parents can ask for FIDE IDs. That is why Debsie does not record children’s classes on its end. That is why parents are encouraged to attend or record classes themselves if they wish. That is why student addresses are kept private. That is why complaints can be raised without evidence. And that is why Debsie removes the teacher from the student’s classes and refunds the month’s fees when a parent raises a serious concern.
Our Commitment to Parents
Debsie exists to help children learn better. But learning is only meaningful when it happens in a safe, respectful, and trustworthy environment.
We know that parents are not just buying a class. They are trusting another adult to interact with their child. That trust must be earned every day.
Debsie’s teacher partners bring chess knowledge, FIDE registration, and teaching experience. Debsie’s role is to make the learning process safer, clearer, and more transparent for families. We do this through visible communication, parent involvement, privacy-conscious class policies, credential transparency, and a complaint process that prioritizes the child and parent first.
At Debsie, child safety comes before everything else. Because when it comes to children, trust is not one feature among many. Trust is the platform.
