Bengaluru: With intense discussion on child safety on school campuses and action being taken at various levels, school managements in the state have raised their concern over the safety and security of school property, staff and management. A delegation of school management representatives from KAMS and Managements of Independent CBSE Schools’ Association approached Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy and demanded an exclusive safety and security bill for school property and staff.
Mr D. Shashikumar, general secretary, Associated Management of English Medium Schools in Karnataka (KAMS), said that there have been recurring and increasing number of instances of parents and other groups of people damaging school property and posing threats to school staff. “Miscreants are seen around and at some instances on the campuses. Some of them issued physical threats to our staff during confusion over RTE admissions and other issues,” he said.
The necessity of a law monitoring safety and security of school campuses, apart from students, is growing to regulate visitor access during school hours and also to protect school property, managements pointed out.
Though similar issues have taken place at institutions following the state syllabus, Mr M. Srinivasan, president, Managements of Independent CBSE Schools’ Association, said that there is no guarantee that such a situation would not occur in other schools. “We have asked the home minister to look into the issue and demanded that schools be declared as sensitive zones. With some groups with vested interests waiting for an opportunity to barge into campuses to create an issue, such a regulation is needed,” he said.
A principal of a private school in the city told Deccan Chronicle that that the police showed no interest in providing help to schools at such instances.
“We have been facing long delays even for police verification reports for confirming staff recruitments. While elite schools are provided better security even for events such as annual days, budget schools like ours which lack influence and monetary support are always neglected,” he complained.
