The role of teachers in safeguarding the welfare of children is long acknowledged. However, recent research in Ireland found that the training provided to teachers on child protection issues was lacking (Buckley and McGarry, ). The frequent interactions that teachers have with children and their expertise in terms of typical child development place them in an ideal position for identifying possible signs of abuse. Yet despite this advantage, research indicates that schools fail to report a substantial proportion of suspected child abuse cases (Kenny, ). The oft‐cited reasons for this may be conceptualised as: explicit reasons, such as a lack of knowledge about child abuse issues; and implicit reasons, such as the individual teacher's belief system about abuse. The current paper discusses implicit as well as explicit obstacles to teachers’ ‘engagement’ with, and consequent barriers to their responding to, child protection issues. The current changes in initial teacher education and the introduction of mandatory reporting for professionals in Ireland, offer an opportune time to raise this issue and highlight the need for holistic education in child protection for teachers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ‘Research indicates that schools fail to report a substantial proportion of suspected child abuse cases’ Key Practitioner Messages Teachers need comprehensive education on child protection issues in order to fulfil their role as mandated reporters. Both implicit and explicit barriers impede teacher's reporting of abuse and neglect. Education must go beyond policies and procedures and be holistic in addressing an implicit belief system in relation to child protection. Education must also aim to reduce interagency conflict, oft cited as a deterrent to reporting, perhaps through increased contact between child protection and education professionals. ‘Education must go beyond policies and procedures and be holistic in addressing an implicit belief system in relation to child protection’