The Karnataka State Minorities Educational Institutions Managements Federation on Friday expressed difficulty faced by its member-schools in implementing child safety guidelines as different authorities were imposing different safety norms.
In its application, the federation said the Education Department on July 23 issued a series of safety guidelines following an instance of sexual assault on a child in a school in Bengaluru. Later, the Police Department came out with another set of guidelines on July 26. Subsequently, Block Education Officers issued some other norms.
More recently the Education Department, on November 11, issued a notification making the July 23 and July 26 guidelines mandatory to grant recognition for schools along with another set of norms under the Right to Education Act.
Pointing out that it would be difficult for the schools to implement these guidelines in view of financial liability as well as owing to multiple guidelines issued by different authorities, the federation also claimed that none of these guidelines were enforceable unless the Education Act was amended.
The federation also contended that the police had no power to book principals or other members of the school management under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for not implementing the July 26 guideline.
Status report filedMeanwhile, the State government filed a status report indicating the measures initiated to monitor child safety norms in all schools in the State.
Justice S. Abdul Nazeer, who is hearing the pleas of private institutions about the difficulty in implementing safety norms, has adjourned further hearing, while asking the State to submit responses to the issues raised by the schools.
