Woman attendants compulsory in school buses: CBSE

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 1

To ensure safety of schoolchildren which use school transport, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has amended its by-laws for schools affiliated with the board. In a major change, now, one woman attendant will have to accompany the students in the bus to ensure their safety.

According to the guidelines issued by the board, the affiliated schools have to make the provision for travelling of at least one female attendant or woman guard in each school bus, keeping in view the safety of school students all throughout the journey.

Joseph Emmanuel, Secretary of the CBSE, has written to principals of all affiliated schools that it would be the responsibility of the principal and the secretary of the society or the trust of the school to ensure that the norms were implemented in this regard.

However, CBSE-affiliated schools in the city have been defying all guidelines of the Supreme Court and the board regarding the issue. School students are being ferried by private bus operators. In the case of any accident or untoward incident, school principals and managements run from their responsibility. The private operators have been organised in the city under a union and they openly claim that rules can’t be followed.

“The policy makers make new rules while sitting in New Delhi. These rules can’t be implemented in small cities. The parents can’t afford the expenses of fully-equipped buses,” said a bus operator.