Edu Dept to seal chinks in school security armour

The gruesome murder of a seven-year-old boy from Ryan International School in Gurugram followed by the alleged rape of a five-year-old girl inside the premises of the school in East Delhi has shaken the entire nation with questions raised over students’ safety and security at schools.

Goa understands better considering that it has gone through the same bitter experience when a seven-year-old girl student was raped in the toilet of Deep Vihar School by an unknown person in January 2013. 

The case hit national headlines prompting the severely criticised Goa government to direct the Education Department for ensuring watertight security in every school premises. A circular issued about three-four days after the crime; the Directorate of Education claimed that ‘protection of our children is a primary responsibility for all of us.’ 

“It is time to move from indignation to action. The primary responsibility of security of students is of school management and heads of the schools and they have to sensitise parents/guardians in PTA meetings. The Education Department is determined that schools should become free zone for learners,” then Director of Education D P Dwivedi had said. 

The department banned entry of sellers/hawkers/agents in the school premises to carry out any business or trade. It also directed that students should not leave the campus during the school hours unless there is a written request from the parents and that class teachers should take adequate care to see that no student is left alone in the classroom during the school hours. 

“In case the child is not picked up by the parents till the end of office hours, the school authority shall ensure that adequate arrangements are made to reach the child at home. Unknown persons shall not be allowed to meet students. The lady teacher shall accompany the girl students when they go out of the school campus for competitions, sports meets or school excursion,” it had further directed. 

The Goa State Commission for Women, that also plunged in action after the horrific incident at Vasco, also issued safety guidelines to the Education Department recommending safe environment to students, installing CCTVs at all entry and exit points and strategic points, maintaining detailed records of all its visitors, installing collapsible gates, constituting Sexual Harassment Committees in all educational institutions, among other measures. 

“No girl student should be taken for any other exam/extra classes/coaching, explanations, physical training, etc alone in a locked room especially by male teacher/physical education teachers nor the girl should be called to any other place on the pretext of extra coaching/ tuitions/ physical training by male teachers. All staff/teachers and students should poses photo identity cards and display these during the classes,” then Chairperson of the Commission Ezilda Sapeco had said warning to hold the Department responsible for any possible untoward incidents in future. 

The Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) had also intervened in the sensational case asking the State government to review overall security in all schools for ensuring their safety. 

Conceding that some schools are yet to implement the safety guidelines full-fledged, Directorate of Education G P Bhat however claimed that several schools have done so. “We are very much conscious about the safety of students in the schools premises. The institutions maintain visitors’ register, installed CCTVs in prime areas, etc. The only problem in certain schools is CCTVs, but in this case if the respective headmasters take the responsibility of taking precautionary steps, then there is no problem,” he said quickly adding that the education department will ensure implementation of the ‘security measures in school premises.’ He asserted that the department revises the safety guidelines every year. 

Going four years back, the education department had asked the management and heads of the institutions to devise their own methodology to keep school premises safe for children. “It is enjoined upon all the educational institutions to strictly adhere to the instructions issued as it will certainly help to avoid untoward incidents in school premises. The instructions are only illustrative and not exhaustive. The management and Heads of school may devise their own methodology for the safety and security of the students keeping in mind the local and special situation of the school,” the circular by Dwivedi had stated. 

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