After Sexual Assault on Kindergarten Girls, Maharashtra Government Puts Onus on Schools

Mumbai:A day after the uproar over the sexual abuse of kindergarten girls in a Badlapur school, the state school education department has asked all the schools to set up CCTV cameras in the premises of the school for the protection of students, teachers and non-teaching staffs. The government recognitions of private schools will be revoked if they do not abide by the order within a month. The government has also asked the management to set up a complaint box in the premises of the school.

There are 65,431 government schools, 23,948 private government-aided schools and 4,393 private unaided schools in Maharashtra. Around two crore students are currently studying in schools across the state.

According to the Government Resolution issued, CCTVs will compulsorily be set up at main places of all the private schools. If any schools fail to do so within a month, the grants will be stopped or recognitions of the schools will be canceled in case needed.

“The schools have been entrusted with the responsibility to examine the CCTV footage periodically. If any objectionable things have been found in CCTV footage, the principal and school management committee will have a duty to take appropriate action over this. The principal will need to examine the CCTV footage for three days in a week. For this, the school should have a control room,” the GR said.

It also said that the principal has been tasked with a responsibility to contact the local police in case any objectionable behaviour is noticed.

The GR also mentioned that those government and local body schools, which have not so far set up the CCTV, should give priority to it. “We have also made a provision of five per cent funds from the DPC (district planning committee) for the CCTV for government and local bodies schools,” an official said.

The GR has also asked the schools to keep watch on the behaviours of the non teaching staff. “The schools have been asked to take a character certificate of the security guards, peon, assistants, school bus drivers among other people from the police before hiring them. The school should preferably hire female non teaching personnel for the below six years students,” the GR said.