'All schools must have child protection policy'

Bengaluru: While the controversy over the new DPI and police guidelines continues, the lack of a comprehensive, practical mechanism to ensure the safety of their children in schools has caused much heartburn among parents, who have been waiting for it since the Vibgyor High rape and even gave a set of suggestions which included  psycho-analytical tests for teachers and staff, the week after the incident.

 

“The DPI guidelines came as a surprise to us because very little was done to involve us in framing them,” says Major Aditi, who is part of a task force called The Fighters – Bangalore against Rape, which was formed by parents soon after the Vibgyor case.

 

“While safety for children has become the buzzword across the nation, the people who were directly involved in the Vibgyor case haven’t been brought to book,” she laments. “Where is the chargesheet? What happened to the teachers who were involved? Where is the administrator who handles background checks? The rape case has been forgotten and nothing has come out of it. What are we waiting for? Another rape?” she demands. 

 

Mr Nagasimha Rao, convenor of the RTE task force, insists that all schools must have a definite child protection policy. “The objective now is only to install CCTVs. The parents are actually willing to pool in to buy the cameras for the safety of their children. But the schools are not even willing to do this, because CCTVs will expose many of their problems.  Many schools, even the expensive ones, lack proper water supply and follow corporal punishment,”  he claims, objecting to the new guidelines asking the police to make fortnightly visits to schools.

 

“Police in uniform are not allowed to enter schools, only the special juvenile police are allowed to do this, according to the JJ Act,” he says. 

 

 

Have separate seating arrangements for students of different classes

 Appoint outsourced staff only from prestigious agencies

 Keep local police in loop over various appointments

Appoint school vigilance 

officers to ensure safety

 Prohibit corporal punishment and dark room concept

 Use technology to monitor  school vans/buses. Prohibit strangers from entering vans

 Have good lighting on campus