Involve students to check ragging, bullying in schools, teachers told

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 25

The office of the Director General School Education (DGSE) has asked teachers to devise special communication channels with students to identify those who indulge in bullying and ragging.

However, school heads said incidents of ragging were a rare occurrence, but they accepted that bullying did exist in schools, particularly Class IX onwards.

The DGSE in a detailed note to all schools in the state has asked them to involve students in seeking suggestions for an action plan to stop bullying and ragging on their campuses. School heads have been asked to honour students who gave quality inputs on the subject with appreciation letters.

Kanwaljit Singh Majitha, Principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Jethunangal (Amritsar), said: “We don’t get any ragging case here. In fact, it has reduced in professional colleges these days. Students while growing up resort to bullying and ragging in schools to show their dominance. The issue can give useful tips if studied from their perspective”.

Schools are required to involve students in activities like morning assemblies so that they can air their views on ground reality and suggestions for the reforms required. Schools have been asked to organise special debates, story and slogan writing sessions.

Each school is required to constitute a special committee which will have two senior teachers (one female), doctor from a local dispensary, parents of two children, local SHO and a councillor or a sarpanch. The committee will work under the school head. The committee has been empowered to issue a verbal or formal warning to student found guilty of ragging or bullying. The bully can be suspended for a limited time period. The result of such student can also be cancelled. In extreme conditions, the bully student can be expelled from the school. Schools have been asked to install a complaint box in their respective premises and keep a record of letters and action taken.

Prashant Kumar, DGSE, said: “Not a single case of ragging or bullying has come to my office during the last more than a year. We are seeking information from students as well as parents to have a re-look into the issue.”