Swinging into action in the wake of Gurugram’s Ryan school incident, the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked the authorities concerned to ensure “police character verification” of all the employees, right from teachers to peon, in all the schools across the State.
The Commission, in a letter issued to the Punjab Government, the State Education Department, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), senior police officers, Deputy Commissioners and various organizations, has asked to strictly comply with the instructions issued from time-to-time to all schools in the state.
Commission has asked them to ensure that a proper police and character verification was done of all the teachers, attendants, peons, drivers, conductors and other staff working in the school, before recruiting them.
Besides, the authorities have been asked to ensure verification of the staff on the vehicles, hired by the students’ parents on their behalf. It has also directed that in case even a single girl student is travelling by the school bus, the bus must have a female attendant.
The Commission has directed to make sure that “operational” CCTV cameras were installed at all the important locations in the schools, especially at the places regularly visited by the students.
The school authorities have been asked to provide separate drinking water and toilet facilities to both girls’ and boys’ students.
Apart from this, the separate arrangement for the same should also be made for teachers and other staff.
The Commission, in its letter, has also made it clear that the students’ safety in the school and during travelling to and from school would be the entire responsibility of the school principals and school heads.
The schools have also been asked to maintain proper record of each person visiting the school.
The Commission has also asked the school authorities to ensure that the school vehicle drivers, conductors or other non-teaching “male” staff should not be allowed to enter the school premises unnecessarily.
For the drivers and conductors, the Commission has asked the school authorities to earmark a space for them.
At the same time, it has instructed that only female workers and attendants should be deployed in the junior wing of the school and their working hours should be recorded on a regular register.