Amid several incidents of violence and sexual assaults in several schools across the country, the union education ministry on Friday asked all states and union territories to implement “Guidelines on School Safety and Security” to ensure safety and security of children in schools. The govts of states and UTs also have been asked to inform the status of notification of Guidelines on School Safety and Security-2021 in their State/UT.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, said that it is deeply committed to ensuring the safety and security of children in schools and other educational institutions. To strengthen procedures, accountability and safeguard the students, in pursuance of the order of the Supreme Court in the Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 136 of 2017 and Writ Petition (Civil) No. 874 of 2017, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education has developed ‘Guidelines on School Safety and Security-2021’, which are in alignment with the POCSO Guidelines.
The statement says that these guidelines inter-alia, contain provisions for fixing the accountability of the school management in the matter of safety and security of children studying in Government, Government-aided and Private Schools. Further, the guidelines provide measures for preventive education, accountability of various stakeholders, reporting procedure, concerned legal provisions, support and counselling and safe environment. These guidelines are crucial to accessibility, inclusiveness and positive learning outcomes, as per the ministry.
The guidelines were circulated to all States/UTs/Autonomous Bodies of Department of School Education and Literacy and Stakeholder Ministries in October 2021. The guidelines, which are advisory in nature, detail the accountability of various stakeholders and different departments in ensuring the safety and security of children in schools.
States/UTs were informed that they may incorporate additions/modifications to these guidelines, if deemed necessary, according to the State/UT specific requirements and notify these guidelines. These guidelines are uploaded on the website of DoSEL.
As per the statement issued by the ministry, the purpose of these guidelines is:
- to create an understanding among all stakeholders, including students and parents, on the need for co-creating a safe and secure school environment for the holistic development of children.
- to make different stakeholders aware about the acts, policies, procedures and guidelines already available on different aspects of safety and security i.e., physical, socio-emotional, cognitive and specific to natural disasters as well.
- to empower different stakeholders and enable clarity on their role in the implementation of this guideline.
- to fix accountability for keeping children safe and secure in schools (including while children are transported to and fro, to attend school or go back to their homes in a school transport) on School Management and Principals and Teachers in Private/Unaided Schools, and Head/in-charge Head of School, Teachers and education administration in case of government/government-aided schools.
- A key purpose is to emphasize the ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ against any negligence on the part of any individual or management when it comes to the safety and security of children in schools.
