Children spend the better part of the day in school, but how safe are they? Several schools do not keep track of visitors. In some cases, students have easy access to outsiders. This is because many schools are yet to establish a child protection committee, which is crucial to creating a safe environment for students.
The comprehensive Karnataka Child Protection Policy for educational institutions was passed by the State Cabinet nearly five months ago. However, no awareness programme has been carried out as it requires collaboration of multiple departments, including Woman and Child Development, Department of Primary and Secondary Education, Transport Department and the police.
D. Shashi Kumar, General Secretary of the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, said that although the Commissioner for Public Instruction has asked schools to implement the policy — in a circular issued in August — schools have not been guided on how to implement it. While some of the safety requirements listed are mandatory, others are only recommendedations.
He also pointed out that although the policy brings all the guidelines under the ambit of one authority, school managements continue to be harassed by multiple authorities. "We challenged the multiple guidelines in the high court and a committee for was formed to collate the guidelines. But after the policy was framed, the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed giving additional powers to the police to initiate action against school managements," he said.
In the midst of the confusion, it’s the children who are getting a raw deal. Parents claim that the policy has been ‘diluted’, as it eliminates CCTV cameras in classrooms and GPS in school buses.
“The previous guidelines had incorporated CCTV and GPS facility in buses. But this has been done away with and we feel that this has been done to protect the interests of school managements, as they had complained about the financial burden," said Jayalakshmi S., whose children are enrolled in classes two and six.
No penalty clause
What makes matters worse, parents point out, is that there is no penalty clause to ensure compliance by managements. “Some schools are complying and implementing the policy phase-wise, but others have made no effort in this regard. They have not taken the initiative to even form child protection committees," said Sunita R., parent of a class five student.
Government schools most vulnerable
The ones that are probably most vulnerable are government schools as no training or financial help to improve infrastructure has been granted. In fact, 9,537 out of the total 44,101 primary schools in the State do not have a boundary wall, which is mandatory as part of the child safety policy.
“When the first set of guidelines was framed, several private schools hiked fees and set up infrastructure for the safety of students. But we have not got any funds to improve safety measures," said a teacher of a government school in north Bengaluru.
Giving the policy more teeth
Experts feel that parents can play a key role in ensuring that schools comply with the child safety policy.
Kripa Amar Alva, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said that it would help if parents volunteer to help ensure children’s safety. “There is a need to ensure focus on prevention. Each day, a set of parents can he assigned to monitor safety,” she said. Sources said that the State government is in the process of finalising a manual for Education Department officials based on this policy.
The other steps to ensure that schools comply with these norms, experts point out, include conducting regular inspections to ensure that guidelines are adhered to.
Expert Speak
Suchitra Rao, consultant at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), says “There is a need for convergence of all departments and to ensure that they are able to fulfil their roles. It is important that the policy is implemented in letter and spirit.”
People Speak
“There needs to be a proper surveillance system inside the school premises and more emphasis on safety during transport of children,” says Gunasekaran K., parent of third standard student.
“Compared to earlier, schools are taking safety more seriously. But they need help in interpreting the policy and conducting a safety audit,” says Gayatri Ananth, parent of a class one student.
Reader’s mail
“Some easy steps can ensure children's safety. Every part of the school should be supervised by a teacher. A buddy system can be started where children are paired or are in groups of three. They will be responsible for knowing where their buddies are at any point of time. Awareness is equally important. Children need to be taught about good and bad touch. Schools must involve parents in this,” says Syed Muneer, secretary, Royal Academy Public School.
“Are children safe in schools? With numerous incidents of child abuse, the answer is ‘No’. Hardly a few schools follow safety guidelines. While schools are responsible for children's safety, parents also need to get involved. Voicing concerns and building a rapport with your child’s school will help,” says Divya Vallabhan.
