The Ministry of Education has issued a directive to all States and Union Territories (UTs) to implement the “Guidelines on School Safety and Security-2021” to enhance the protection of children in educational institutions. This move follows directives from the Supreme Court in Writ Petitions (Criminal) No. 136 of 2017 and (Civil) No. 874 of 2017.
The guidelines, aligned with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, are designed to establish clear accountability for school management across Government, Government-aided, and Private Schools. Key aspects include preventive education, reporting procedures, legal provisions, support services, and the creation of a safe environment conducive to learning.
The Ministry has requested States and UTs to provide updates on the notification status of these guidelines within their jurisdictions. The guidelines, which were initially circulated on October 1, 2021, and are advisory in nature, offer flexibility for States to tailor them to local needs. They stress a ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ towards negligence regarding child safety.
The purpose of these guidelines is to create an understanding among all stakeholders, including students and parents, on the need for co-creating a safe and secure school environment for the holistic development of children and to make different stakeholders aware about the acts, policies, procedures and guidelines already available on different aspects of safety and security i.e., physical, socio-emotional, cognitive and specific to natural disasters as well.
The guidelines are made to empower different stakeholders and enable clarity on their role in the implementation of this guideline.
It is to fix accountability for keeping children safe and secure in schools (including while children are transported to and fro, to attend school or go back to their homes in a school transport) on School Management and Principals and Teachers in Private/Unaided Schools, and Head/in-charge Head of School, Teachers and education administration in case of government/government-aided schools.
(with inputs from ANI)
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