Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Rape of three-year-old girl by teacher in a Bhopal school has brought the focus back on police verification of staffers employed by schools. In a circular, District Project Coordinator (DPC) of Bhopal has asked all schools to ensure police verification of their staff.
DPC Om Prakash Sharma told Free Press that it was mandatory for schools to adhere to Department of Public Instruction (DPI) guidelines over safety of children. On Friday, a circular was issued to all the schools to ensure compliance with police verification of all staff members if they haven’t yet, he added.
District Education Officer, NK Ahirwar, said, “School inspections would begin next week. As of now, I haven’t inspected any school personally.”
Box: Guidelines for Schools
– Mandatory police verification for school employees to prevent abuse.
– No hiring of candidate with past record of sexual or physical violence.
– Newly-selected candidates must provide an affidavit affirming no offences under the POCSO Act.
– Staff hired on an ad-hoc or contractual basis must also comply with these requirements.
– At least 50% of teaching staff must be female, as per SSA, to ensure care and protection for girl students.
CCTV in only 10% govt schools
As per official data, only 10% of government schools in state have CCTV cameras as mandated by DPI’s Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools. The manual, aligned with guidelines of NCPCR, requires CCTV cameras in key areas of the school, including classrooms, washrooms, corridors, stairways, and playgrounds. However, only 5% government schools fulfil these guidelines.
In contrast, private schools have largely complied with the guidelines. Additionally, the DPI has directed schools to submit staff details, including complete police verification of teaching and non-teaching staff. However, rural and smaller government schools lag in implementing these critical safety measures.
