Mumbai: The Badlapur school episode has finally jolted the state administration into action and it has now come out with a stringent checklist binding for all schools, irrespective of the boards they are attached with. The checklist is the fallout of the outrage among citizens after the Badlapur incident and other similar incidents reported elsewhere in the state.
The checklist will be binding for schools in order to be recognised by the state, for new classes, additional divisions, NoCs to start schools of all boards, to be approved for state grants, changes in teaching mediums, and so on.
The state order, issued on September 24, comes in the wake of the shocking incident at the Badlapur school where two minors were molested in August, by the newly-appointed cleaner, Akshay Shinde, who was killed in a police ‘encounter’ on September 23.
Crucial points on the checklist: Henceforth, there will be checks for the installation of CCTV cameras in schools and complaint boxes. If there is a complaint box facility provided, it will be checked whether the complaint box is opened every week in the presence of representatives. Schools must have student vigilance committees and those that do must show that meetings are regularly held.
In the Badlapur incident, there was no character certificate available for the accused, a contractual employee. Henceforth, it will be checked whether schools have character certificates for employees. Most importantly, female helpers must be employed to assist students from pre-primary and primary classes and female students from Class VI onwards in washrooms. The school committee, to be known as the ‘Sakhi Savitri Committee’ must have meetings on a regular basis; schools must also hold meetings once a month, to train students to create awareness.
As for the issue of student transportation, the government order asks to ensure that the school has its own transport service for students. If such is the case, then the vehicles must have a GPS network and panic button; schools must appoint female assistants on buses run by private bus operators. If parents allow their children to travel to school in private vehicles, then schools must have an undertaking on the safety aspects of this arrangement.
School transport committee meetings must be held on a regular basis. Schools will have to prepare a class-wise list based on Aadhaar Cards and its linkage with validation reports. The government order also asks schools to ensure that buses should not accommodate students over their capacity and schools should also create awareness among school bus drivers and their assistants.
