The lieutenant-Governor has directed Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to take security measures suggested by police and other stakeholders mandatory for recognition of schools in the city. The lt-Governor also directed the Delhi Police to waive verification charges for private schools in order to incentivise the process.
Baijal also asked all departments and stakeholders to work together to ensure a “safe and secure environment” in schools in Delhi.
The directive comes amid increased concerns over the safety on school premises after the killing of a seven-year- old student in Gurugram’s Ryan International and alleged rape of five-year-old girl at her school in Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar.
“The lt-Governor has suggested to the deputy CM that the security measures listed by police along with measures suggested by other stakeholders like Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) be considered for inclusion as a set of binding requirements for grant and continuation of recognition of schools under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules,” the lt-Governor office said in a statement on Wednesday.
In the letter to Sisodia, Baijal stressed that the safety and security of children cannot be compromised and has to be an essential condition to allow running of schools in Delhi.
It may be noted that on September 11, the Government had ordered schools to install CCTV cameras covering their entire premises and complete police verification of their non-teaching staff within three weeks.