If children aren’t safe in schools, where would they be?

The death of a seven-year-old boy at a Gurugram school was a painful incident. The safety and security of schoolchildren is the prime concern of the authorities. All rules and regulations with regard to it should be followed.

Aarti Bhardwaj, Chandigarh

Safety of children prime concern

No words are enough to condemn the murder of a Class II student at a private school in Gurugram. A sincere effort should be made to ensure that no such incident occurs in future. Children are the future of the country and should be safe on the school premises. Speed governors and the GPS should be installed in every school bus. A woman conductor should be in every school bus.

Nikita Kapur, Chandigarh

Take safety measures  

Every school should install CCTV cameras, constitute safety committees and ensure a safe transportation facility for students. Antecedents of the school staff should be verified by the police. Steps to generate awareness among students about a good or bad touch should also be taken. The safety of children is the prime duty of the school authorities and negligence on the part of the schools should not be spared. Keeping in view the safety of students, strict guidelines need to be issued and the law should also be amended.

Raman Badyal, Chandigarh

Owners concerned about money only

The tragedy at Ryan School in Gurugram shows that our children are not safe at schools, whether government or private, as they are least bothered about their safety. Owners of private schools are only concerned about the money. They do not take interest is repairing broken boundary walls, cleanliness  or separate toilets for students and the staff. Bus drivers and conductors should not be allowed to use student toilets. Each school bus must have a woman conductor. Particulars of drivers and conductors must be verified at regular intervals. 

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

Act strictly against culprits 

Students are left at the mercy of the depraved, who commit heinous crimes and put the humanity to shame. Such elements need to be dealt with strictly and deserve an exemplary punishment. Regular awareness campaigns for students is a remedy. Surveillance in and around the schools can ensure fool-proof security for children. 

Rajesh Bajaj, Chandigarh

Make law tougher 

Wherever required, the law should be amended. Strict implementation of the law is very important where the law enforcement agencies generally lack. Government officers responsible for such enforcement should be punished for the dereliction of duty. Children should be taught as to how to sense a difficult situation and take suitable action.

Rajeev Satya, Panchkula

Students’ safety comes first 

The brutal murder of a 7-year-old boy at a school in Gurugram has raised several questions regarding the safety of students in the schools that are fast turning into business ventures. The schools must consider the safety of students their prime concern and take every possible measure to ensure it. CCTV cameras must be installed and should be in a working condition with two-month data back-up. Police verification of the school staff is mandatory. There should be a separate provision of water coolers and toilets for students, staff and other employees. No illegal or overcrowded autos and cabs should be allowed. Once in a month, students should be taught what is a good or bad touch. Most importantly, every parent must take care of the above points and should be aware of their child’s day-to-day activities.

Dr Shruti K Chawla, Chandigarh

Teach self-defence to students

The brutal murder of a seven-year-old boy in a private school is shocking and scary. There should a boundary wall, at least 12 feet high, around a school. Police verification of the teaching and non-teaching staff should be a must. Self-defence training should be a part of the curriculum. Surveillance cameras in a working condition should be put in every corner of the school.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

Implementation of law holds the key

The safety of schoolchildren has always been a concern. There are several laws and rules but their strict implementation holds the key. During school hours, the police should be on their toes to enforce the law. Training and reorientation courses should be arranged for all stakeholders at regular intervals. Students should also be taught self-defence.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

Form security panel 

The safety of children at schools as well as at home is not an option but a priority. The access to school buildings should be limited. Guests visiting the schools should be monitored. Visitors’ area should be defined separately and may not be common with cafeteria, hallways or playgrounds. Parents should be made stakeholders in the security issue. A committee may be formed, including the school management, parents and senior students, to ensure proper security of children. Self-defence should be part of the curriculum. The authorities should always be ready to improve the school infrastructure to create a better and safe learning environment.

Kamalpreet Kaur, Mohali

Monitor safety arrangements 

Following the Ryan school tragedy in Gurugram, much has been debated sufficiently, the government should issue instructions keeping in view the safety of children from the time they leave home for the school and come back. Schools should preferably appoint an security officer exclusively for the purpose. There should be a nodal officer at the government level to monitor schoolchildren’s security.

Tejinder Singh Kalra, Mohali

Keep check on staff, students’ movement  

Police verification of the school staff should be a must. All classrooms, labs, auditoriums and corridors must have CCTV cameras. The non-teaching staff should have access to the school premises with specific permission. Women attendants should be deployed outside the toilets for tiny-tots. School buses too should have CCTV cameras and the route should be on the school radar. Periodical inspection by the district authorities must be ensured. Lapses or any departures from the law should be dealt with strictly. 

SS Arora, Mohali

Regular security audit needed 

The entry of unauthorised persons to the school should be restricted and there should be no open access to the toilets used by students. Any deficiency noticed in the system should be viewed seriously and strict action should be initiated against the guilty. There should be a regular security and safety audit of all educational institutions. Surprise inspections can also be held. 

Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali

Be more vigilant

The school authorities will have to be more vigilant. Installation of  CCTV cameras at vulnerable points, posting of separate security guards,  exclusively for keeping  a close watch on  the surroundings and activities of students, staff and visitors during the school hours, involving parents, creating awareness among students through counselling/camps on a regular basis and providing suggestion boxes are required. In addition, school buses should be fitted with CCTV cameras and the GPS. Drivers nad conductors of the buses should be provided separate toilets. Antecedents of these persons should be periodically verified by the school and the police. The location of liquor vends and the sale of tobacco products should be away from the schools as per law. Members of the children welfare council should pay visits to the schools to check the infrastructure and other facilities provided to the students and to suggest improvement therein.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

Role of support staff crucial

It is time to take a stock of safety measures at the schools. Students should be taught about a good or bad touch. One cannot undermine the contribution of the support staff. We have to train them and tell them how to maintain the decorum at job. There is a need of verification of the school staff. Parents and schools are equal partners in ensuring the safety of children. Schools should not be treated as a source to generate money. 

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Keep political interests at bay 

Politicians need to keep their alliances and interests at bay and force the school authorities to shed their callous and arrogant attitude. Necessary amendments should be made in the law to penalise erring schools. The government should also ensure an exemplary punishment for the culprits. District nodal officers should be appointed for effective monitoring and implementation of the rules.

OP Coushik, Zirakpur

Not all schools unsafe 

A tragedy at a  school  should  not  mean  that  all schools are  unsafe. We have reputed schools doing their jobs exceedingly well. Therefore, such schools should not be painted with the same brush. Public perception must be more realistic.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Keep check on anti-social elements 

It is necessary that the verification of the school staff is done by the police. In older days, such incidents were very rare but nowadays these are happening frequently. CCTV cameras should be installed in the schools. It is also important that these cameras are checked frequently. The police must keep a round-the-clock vigil on anti-social elements.

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

Parents should be proactive

In the name of status, parents are attracted by schools. They exploit parents and students’ morale stands diluted in the school authorities’ greed.  Knowing the government laxity, parents can play a vital role in bringing the school authorities on their toes for right education and safety of students. The affiliation of erring schools should be cancelled. 

MPS Chadha, Mohali

Note down details of visitors 

The schools should Install CCTV cameras on their premises. Identity cards should be issued to the teaching as well as the non-teaching staff. Temporary visitor passes with photograph, address, mobile number, reason of visit and the approximate time to be spent in the school should be made. There is a need to appoint more women staff. 

Sunny Singh

Take note of employees’ whereabouts 

All school staff should be regularly checked and their movement should be monitored by the school administration. Women staff should be preferred. Only teachers and other women staff should be allowed to enter the area where classes are held. CCTV footage should be regularly checked. A complaint centre under the supervision of an IAS officer should be set up where one can easily give complaint against any school.

Vinod Shetty

Principal should be accountable for any lapse  

Schools are vulnerable to such incidents. Strict laws are needed to deal with the situation besides proper surveillance. If any discrepancy is found, then the principal should be held responsible. It is the priority of the principal to check the safety and hygiene at the school.

PK Patpatia, Ambala Cantt

Follow instructions

Several instructions have been issued by the CBSE to the schools with regard to the safety of the students but who cares? It is the fundamental right of every child to study in a safe and healthy environment. It is a constitutional obligation and has to be sincerely complied with by the school managements. If a child is not safe in a school, where will he/she will be?

Col RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt