Will CBSE directives bring results? Only time will tell

Schools shirk responsibility 

The schools always try to shirk their responsibility by passing the buck on to the transport contractors. The CBSE has now made it crystal clear that it is the responsibility of the head of the school to ensure compliance of all safety norms. Besides the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR),  parents can now complain to the CBSE in case of any lapse. We have asked our member parents to record videos of the school buses being driven in violation of the norms so that we can expose the ground reality.Rs  

Nitin Goyal, President, Chandigarh Parents’ Association

School heads can’t be held accountable 

}I am at a loss for words. I understand that the CBSE gave an affidavit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court some time ago that they are only an examining body and nothing else. Now, to issue such circulars is a contempt of court. On the other hand, there is a law already in a place, which needs to be followed. Transportation is not the core competency of a school head, buses are run by governments or bus contractors and there are existing rules for them. How does the school heads become responsible?Rs  

HS Mamik, Chairperson, Independent Schools’ Association

Great move

}This is a great move. But the problem is the CBSE; Director, School Education, and other government bodies have not been able to implement this kind of circulars. The CBSE needs to ensure that every school follows it.As far as the GPS and CCTV cameras are concerned, there should be a regular check on these too otherwise the schools will not do it in a proper way.Rs  

Kamalpreet Singh Litt, A Parent

Simply facilitating a service   

}The directives make sense where the schools own the buses. But where schools are simply facilitating a service for the convenience of parents, only bus operators should be held responsible. However, all  school heads must make an effort to ensure that the school buses comply with all norms. 

Kavita Das, principal, St. John’s high School

Don’t hope for much

}I don’t hope  much from the schools in this regard. The CBSE can only issue guidelines but no government officer, including the DSE, is interested in their implementation as they say they don’t have any power to make the schools follow the guidelines. Rs — Vinita, a parent

Other stakeholders also need to contribute 

Providing a safe environment to future generations is a responsibility that has to be shared by all. As much as we, as school heads, ensure measures for such features, our job is half done unless the other stakeholders - parents, politicians, policy makers and law enforcers- share the intention of keeping the environment safe at all times and not just focus on a mere bus journey. What about the times when children use the public transportation? And when parents circumvent regulations to use scooter rickshaws as a mode of transportation for schools? I often wonder why only schools and school heads are held accountable and threats are hurled at them every now and then!Rs  

Vandana Saxena, principal, Tribune Model School