January 2013 saw the Goa State Commission for Women issue a circular to the Department of Education listing guidelines for educational institutions on safety measures that need to be adopted. A month later, the department forwarded the women’s commission guidelines to heads of government, government aided and unaided primary, middle, secondary and higher secondary schools. A failure to comply with the rules would result in with holding grants to the institution along with strict action. Earlier last month, The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) issued its own set of detailed guidelines that the department says will be in force by next month.
Despite the many guidelines and rules, the recent Vasco molestation case of an eight year old school girl by a physical education and drawing teacher in her school continue to be reported.
While aided and unaided schools are in a better position to comply with these rules, thanks to a healthy and pro active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and school management, some rural aided schools are unable to get the basic CCTV installation and compound walls constructed in the premises resorting to registers and security personnel as safety measures.
Though Ezilda Sapeco, the former Chairperson of the women’s commission concerned with the December 2012 Vasco school girl rape incident, set out guidelines that need to be put in place back in 2013, she was limited in her powers but was certain the education department would not have done anything.
“The Education as well as the Women and Child Development departments were not doing anything about the situation, so I decided to try and do something about it myself. I fail to understand why in a small state like Goa, how is it that the culprits are not caught. We are only waiting for situations to happen to get the rules implemented.” she says.
Though the women’s commission has limited powers to issuing and implementing rules in schools, a list dated January 2013 was sent to the education department. Unfortunately her term ended that same month and she says she was unable to follow up on the issue.
With the MHRD’s recent guidelines calling for verifying antecedents of teachers and staff in the school along with a detailed list of other guidelines, the director of Goa’s education department, Gajanan Bhat was reported as saying schools will have to compulsorily adhere to them from next month.
But for a cause that has been getting suggestions since 2012, why are students still not safe in schools? Bhat says that while it is impossible to entirely stop such cases, the progress has been good. “I am extremely happy with the level of safety in the state. Of course there are cases that occur, but if I come to know of such cases, I will deal with it,” he says.
One of the guidelines calls for installation of CCTV surveillance at all entry and exit points, but while most private schools generate funds from the parents to install and maintain these cameras, many government schools function without one.
“We have inspections every year and if the school is not able to install one there is a process where the government intervenes. They need to give it to us in writing,” says Bhat adding that the department too is low on funds.
But while installation of a surveillance camera costs a few thousand rupees, it is the authorities that are not looking out for the safety of the student.
Activist Tara Kerkar, has dealt with a number of cases involving girls being assaulted in schools. She says the government departments aren’t really taking up a strong initiative. “All these committee members can’t really do anything and there have been cases where school authorities themselves have not co-operated,” she says.
Recalling a case she received, Kerkar says the headmistress of a school on being told a girl from the school was assaulted, got on the defensive and instead of hearing the girl out, started screaming at her.
From low funds and the general opinion that all is well, the education department may be content with the safety of students, but how long will it be before the next child is hurt?
Review Bureau
