Ludhiana schools told to follow guidelines in two weeks

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 16

The police today issued guidelines regarding prevention of sexual assault, harassment and other related crimes against schoolchildren on school premises.

Police Commissioner Rakesh Agrawal said schools should implement these guidelines within two weeks and the police will also conduct surprise checks.

The schools have been told that they should ensure that no schoolchildren is handed over to anyone except parents or those authorised by the parents. (through ID cards). No minor female student should be left alone with male staff.

The schools should install sufficient CCTV cameras on its premises, inside classrooms, near toilets entry and also at places facing road, and entry, exit points. Their recorder devices should have at least 15 days' recording.

In case of emergency, principal shall personally authorise custody of the child to a female teacher until the parent/guardian come and take stock of the situation.

Guidelines also advocate that senior sections should be separated from junior ones.

"School management should ensure that there are separate male/female toilets and these should be at a distance from each other. Female attendants should be appointed to keep an eye in the area near the female toilets," say the guidelines.

School management should compulsorily insist for police verification certificate with antecedent and address verification while appointing/hiring teachers, physical instructors, lab technicians, drivers, janitors and other support staff. It should also be ensured that staff is hired from reputed outsourced vendors in transport, security, housekeeping and canteen section.

The police also want school managements should appoint sufficient security guards. Along with male guards, females should also be deployed at the entrance and exit gates during school hours. No unauthorised person should be allowed to enter school.

School management should also monitor private three-wheelers or four-wheelers/cabs or any form of transport to get satisfied about their conduct and antecedents along with proper address. School management should appoint some staff as vigilance monitors on rotation to keep an eye on all activities, including traffic congestion related to kids arrival and departure from school, during playtime, mealtime, near toilets, etc.

The guidelines maintain that school management should ensure that no is given darkroom/solitary confinement punishment and schools should nominate coordinator counselor for parents to inform about their concerns to him/her in confidence.

Other guidelines include school management should periodically or during their meetings with both teaching and non-teaching staff discuss issues concerning safety of children and take feedback from the staff, schools should take attendance of children at the beginning of school, after lunch and at the time of school closing. In case if any student is not present, then the matter should be immediately brought to the notice of the parents/guardians and to the police. Efforts should be made for electronic system of attendance system.

Bus driver/attendant should not allow the child to get down places other than his or her residence from where the child was picked up. School management should install display boards regarding “Dos & Dont’s” in front of the school/college premises and schools should have group-messaging system.

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