Bengaluru: A series of child abuse cases in Bengaluru made national headlines two years ago. And every six months at least two cases of sexual offenses are reported leaving parents in shock. Yet, nothing seems to have progressed on the safety of our children. And all measures appear cosmetic which is also wearing out as the very basic background verification check to weed out sexual predators by police standing cancelled!
Following the sexual assault incident reported from few schools, including VIBGYOR, a year ago, city police had issued a circular making Background Verification (BGV) must for school staff i.e. for both teaching as well as non teaching. Rs 250 was fixed as the BGV fee and a separate system was set up at the city Police Commissioner’s office and Bangalore One centres across the city.
Following the arrest of few school heads for not adhering to the direction, city schools made their teaching and non teaching staff approach Bangalore One centres, where applications were made available. Up to Rs 20 crore has been collected!
But a year later the schools are now in a dilemma. Reason: the city police have stopped the BGV process saying it is not their duty. The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) officials are evading all the queries regarding this. Even after paying the prescribed amount and a long wait, school teachers as well as non-teaching staff were neither given conduct certificate by the police, nor was the money refunded. Fearing police action, school managements are refusing to even claim money they have deposited.
According to the principal of a school near Yelahanka, around 60 employees of the school have made a payment of Rs 15,000. “But none of the teachers were issued BGV nor was the money refunded. We are not aware whether we need to apply again this year. Fear factor is that if any untoward incident is reported from school, we may be arrested. Already in a couple of schools principals were arrested as the accused non teaching staff were not having a BGV certificate. We are afraid to raise the issue,” he summed up.
Managements feign ignorance
According to D. Shashikumar, General Secretary of KAMS, which has 700 affiliated schools in the Bengaluru city, there is lot of confusion over the BGV issue. “Schools have not received any official communication that police will not do BGV. We came to know about this only through media. The confusion over the validity of BGV certificates, refund of the amount if police are not ready to do BGV process, fate of the school principal and managements if a teacher is found accused, needs to be cleared. We are also in the state of confusion. Both police and DPI should issue an official statement and notification to clear it,” he said.
Background verification certificate
- City police issued an order making BGV compulsory for all teaching and non-teaching staff following a series of incidents of sexual assaults on girl students in city schools
- All the employees working in schools including pre-nursery, nursery, primary and high school staff were directed to undergo BGV
- Teachers, administrative staff, security staff, attenders and van drivers were directed to undergo BGV
- City police had announced that BGV info will be uploaded on ksp.gov.in/citizencentricservice/forms
- Police also assured ID cards for those who have a positive certificate
- It was proposed that police will check the residential address of the applicant before issuing BGV
