Now, ‘bad touch’ info on PSEB textbooks

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 21

In the wake of rising sexual assaults against children, the Punjab State Education Board (PSEB) has started printing information about “bad touch” and child helpline number on its back cover.

Krishan Kumar, Education Secretary, Punjab, while sharing the information, said: “What propelled us to print the child helpline related information on the back cover was the poor awareness of law among people. Recently, we organised a workshop in December at Chandigarh, wherein both government and private schools were called. The idea of printing child-related information on textbooks was discussed during the workshop. At that time, books were under printing, so we decided to take a serious call on it.”

Kumar said: “The information on the cover page will have its own impact on children, teachers and parents. Even teachers have less knowledge about laws that are made for children. It’s the adults, who perpetrate heinous crimes against children. That is why it holds importance for adults reading book as well. Some schools that have not availed the newly printed textbooks would not be able to read relevant texts on the back cover page. ”

Book bank from next year

Krishan Kumar, Education Secretary, Punjab, said: “Every year new books are printed by the Board, which is a sheer wastage of resources. At least one book can be preserved for two years, if children can be sensitised to use books carefully. This will save government’s money and conserve the environment as well. We are planning to work out in this regard from the next year now.”

Info on textbooks 

• If a child, who is below the age of 18, feels a bad touch or an inappropriate touch from some, he/she should immediately speak about it to the person he/she trusts and should not feel it is his/her fault
• The child can also reach out to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) e-box on the website of National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR): [email protected]
• If a child feels bad, confused or helpless, he/she can call on a 24*7 national childline number: 1098