Team to inspect all Gurugram schools

To ensure implementation of 8-point students’ safety guidelines issued following the Ryan murder

A district administration team comprising the District Education Officer (DEO), a Regional Transport Authority member and a police officer ,will inspects all private and government-aided schools here to ensure implementation of the eight-point students’ safety guidelines issued in the wake of the murder of a student at Ryan International School in Bhondsi.

Holding a meeting of the School Safety Committee, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said on Wednesday that ‘safety of children is the administration’s priority and the focus now will be on implementation of the guidelines’.

He said a communiqué was sent to all schools in the district from his office under Section 144 of Cr.PC The schools were asked to ensure safety of students and give an undertaking. The DEO said 160 schools had submitted the undertakings.

Mr. Singh said an inspection calendar will be prepared and sent to all schools. Ten schools will be inspected in the first phase and these schools will be decided through a draw of lots. Schools that haven’t submitted the undertakings will also be checked by a committee of the local SHO and Block Education Officer or Block Elementary Education Officer, and police action initiated against them.

Mr. Singh said action may be taken against schools for not adhering to guidelines, like stopping government aid, withdrawal of affiliation or taking over the managing committee as in case of Ryan International School and action for violation of the District Magistrate’s order.

The eight points refer to constitution of school safety committees with two representatives being parents, to ensure all fire equipment are in working condition, separate toilets for non-teaching staff, installation of sufficient close-circuit television cameras at appropriate points, deployment of female attendants at toilets for small children, ramps and toilets for children with special needs, installation of GPS and CCTVs in school buses along with deployment of female attendants and police verification of non-teaching staff.