Conduct psychometric tests of all staff in 2 months and install CCTV cameras at all vulnerable areas in school. Ensure support staff are employed only from authorized agencies, train them to safeguard kids.
Breaking its silence five days after the murder of a child at Ryan International School in Gurugram, the CBSE on Wednesday announced that the onus of safety of students on campus lies solely with school authorities.
The CBSE said this in response to a Supreme Court query in the aftermath of the Gurugram school murder. On Wednesday, the board sent a circular on ‘safety of children’ to its affiliated schools, giving them two months to complete psychometric evaluation of all staff — teachers, non-teaching employees, sweepers, bus drivers and conductors included.
“Owing to increasing incidents involving safety and well-being of school children, the onus for safety and security of children on campus shall solely lie upon the school authorities,” says the circular, adding: “It is the fundamental right of a child to engage and study in an environment where he/she feels safe and is free from any form of physical or emotional abuse or harassment.”
The official word from CBSE will assuage parents jolted by the Ryan School murder. What may prove tough for schools is the mandatory psychometric evaluation.
“Schools must get psychometric evaluation done for all the staff employed. Such verification and evaluation for non-teaching staff — such as bus drivers, conductors, peons and other support staff — may be done very carefully and in a detailed manner,” the CBSE said.