Thiruvananthapuram: CBSE has asked schools to conduct security and safety audit of their premises by personnel from their respective local police station and follow the security related advice. This has to be complied with and reported online on CBSE website www.cbse.nic.in within two months. The order was issued in the background of a seven-year-old boy’s murder inside the washroom of Ryan International School, Gurgaon allegedly following sexual harassment. The eight point guidelines apart from the audit are as follows: Install CCTV cameras at all vulnerable areas of the School premises and ensure they are functional at all times. They must get the police verification, and psychometric evaluation is done for all the staff employed.
Such verification and evaluation for non-teaching staff such as bus drivers, conductors, peon and others may be done very carefully in a detailed manner. They should ensure that supporting staff is employed only from authorised agencies and that proper records are maintained. The schools have been asked to constitute a parent-teacher-students committee to address the safety needs of the students.
The access to school building by outsiders should be controlled and visitors monitored. The schools should provide training and development for staff to address their responsibilities to protect children from any form of abuse. The school should constitute separate committees for redressal of public, staff, parents and students' grievances. They should constitute an internal complaints committee on sexual harassment and committees under Protection of Children from Sexual Offence Act, 2012 (POCSO) and their details along with contacts should be displayed prominently on school notice board and conspicuously on the school website. The circular has asked all schools affiliated to CBSE to adhere to all the guidelines issued by MHRD board time to time strictly.
Any violation or lapses about safety and well being of children on the campus would invite appropriate action including the disaffiliation of the school as per the provisions of affiliation bye-laws of the board. As the children are spending most of their time in school, the concern of parents about the safety of schoolchildren is increasing every other day regarding their physical safety, mental and emotional health or child abuse owing to increasing incidents involving safety and well-being of children. The onus for their safety and security on the school campus shall solely lie upon the school authorities, the circular said. It is a fundamental right of a child to engage and study in an environment where he felt safe and is free from any form of physical or emotional abuse or harassment, the circular said.
