SDMC issues safety guidelines for schools

Move after recent crimes against kids

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday issued safety guidelines for schools to follow with an aim to create a secure space for children after the recent cases of violence.

The mayor of south Delhi, Ms. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, on Tuesday said that students and parents have expressed concern over the recent incidents of alleged murders and rapes of school children in Delhi and NCR.

Detailed plan

A detailed plan was formulated by the Standing Committee chairperson Bhupender Gupta, leader of the house Ms. Shikha Rai, SDMC commissioner Dr. P.K. Goel, headed by the mayor, for strict compliance by school authorities.

“The safety of our children is of prime importance. Any lukewarm response from the principals, teachers or other employees will be taken seriously and strict action will be taken against them,” Ms. Sehrawat said. She said that the priority of the civic body is to create a safe environment for children and to make them fearless individuals.

“If children are not taken care of in the formative years, they are likely to become mentally weak adults. Such cases of violence and crime create a lasting impact on children,” she said.

As per the guidelines, the school principals along with the management committees and the staff are supposed to ensure safety audits in their respective schools, as per standard safety norms.

Police verification

They will also ensure that the character and antecedents of all the employees working in the schools have been verified by the Delhi Police. This will also include mid-day meal staff and NGO workers, for whom separate identity cards will be issued.

The SDMC officials said that the schools will have to maintain a visitors’ register and fixed timings for visitors coming into schools.

“The school will have to prominently display the telephone numbers of the police control room, local police station and name and number of beat officer on the notice board,” a statement issued by the municipality read.

The guidelines also said that teachers will have to ensure that no student is allowed to go to the washrooms alone and a companion must accompany them.