The Ghaziabad district administration on Tuesday issued security guidelines to the schools for maintaining safety and security of the schoolchildren. District officials held a meeting with the school owners in the backdrop of the brutal murder of Pradyuman Thakur, a Class II student of Ryan International School in Gurugram.
District Magistrate (DM) Ritu Maheswari, who chaired the meeting, issued guidelines and asked for strict adherence by the schools.
The guidelines, circulated to the participants stated that schools will have to follow the norms laid by the Supreme Court (SC) in its order dated 16/12/1997. The SC order states that all the school buses are to be painted in yellow. The driver's name, his license number, address, owners name and address, their mobile numbers, transport department's helpline number are to be painted and displayed outside the bus prominently.
Each school will have to appoint a Transport Manager who will be solely responsible for the security of children. The buses are to be equipped with CCTV cameras and GPS system. Each bus should be accompanied by a school teacher, who will ensure children's safety till his or her destination. Each bus has to be equipped with first aid and medical kit. The schools will have to ensure that drivers do not use mobile phones while driving the bus. The fitness certificate from the transport department has to be obtained for the buses without fail.
The schools have to construct separate toilets for the visitors and the ancillary staff. The schools will also have to obtain no objection certificate (NOC) for the safety norms from power corporation to avoid any electric fault.
The schools will have to seek NOC from the Municipal Corporation for providing clean drinking water to students. Each school will have to maintain hygiene in its canteen. Also the boundary walls of the schools should be secured and should be made beyond reach of the intruders inside the school premises.
Schools having swimming pool facilities, will have employ a coach and life guard in its facility state the guidelines issued by the district administration.