To ensure children’s safety, the Directorate of Education has asked all private unaided recognised schools to install GPS systems in school buses along with getting additional verification of drivers and conductors. This move has been initiated by the Ministry of Home Affairs which is monitoring the steps been taken for the safety of women and the public in general.
Madhu Teotia, additional director of education, said in a letter issued to all schools, “Some of the measures to be taken are to get GPS installed in all school buses, verification of the antecedents of drivers and conductors and to upload the list of drivers and conductors of the chartered buses hired by the schools on the website of the education department.”
In this regard, she ordered the schools to provide the details of all school buses that had got the GPS system installed. She further added, “Schools should ensure with immediate effect that 100 per cent verification of drivers and conductors engaged in school buses is given. They should also provide the details of CC buses or chartered buses engaged by the schools or arranged by the parents for transportation of students or children.” Teotia additionally directed all the heads of schools and managers of private unaided recognised schools to “accordingly provide the information with regards to detail of buses owned by the school, hired by the school or arranged by the parents, which have got the GPS installed, to their respective zonal office of the education department within 15 days, positively to submit the information in next review meeting.”
Subsequently, all the directors of educations have been directed to take up the matter with school managements of private unaided recognised schools falling under their respective jurisdictions immediately.“They must direct the schools to do the needful and submit the compiled report in this regard to this branch immediately after receipt of the same from the managements of the schools,” Teotia said.