Telangana: Child safety guidelines in schools hit roadblock

The State government had constituted a committee for framing guidelines for ensuring safety and security of children in the school across Telangana

Hyderabad: The crucial safety and security guidelines aimed at protecting children in schools across the State have hit a roadblock. A committee specifically constituted nearly two years ago to formulate guidelines for safety and security of children in the schools is yet to see its efforts come to fruition, raising concerns among the stakeholders.

Following sexual assault on then four-year girl old by a private school principal’s driver in the school premises in Banjara Hills, the State government had constituted a committee for framing guidelines for ensuring safety and security of children in the school across the State.

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Then Special Chief Secretary to Government, Labour and Employment department was a head of the committee with Special Secretary to Government, WCD & SC, and Additional DGP (Women Safety Wing) as members.

The committee held a series of meetings with parents, teachers, students, school managements and school education department officials to frame the guidelines. Several suggestions including inculcating life skills and self-defense techniques were made by the stakeholders to the committee members.

Plans were also on to enforce installation of the CCTV cameras in the front and rear ends of the buses particularly of the private schools. Apart from the CCTVs and digital video recorders, the GPS to allow parents to track their wards in real time was also planned for the buses.

While a Fast Track Special Court for Rape & POCSO in Nampally sentenced the school’s driver to undergo 20 years of imprisonment in the case in the last year, the guidelines for children safety and security in schools are yet to see light of the day.

According to sources, the minutes of committee meetings have already been sent to the Education department last year for issuance of the GO. “All committee meetings have concluded. The minutes of the meetings have been circulated to the Secretariat,” sources added.