Maharashtra Govt Makes School Safety Non-Negotiable: 15 New Rules Mandate CCTV, Staff Vetting, and Counselling
Maharashtra Govt Makes School Safety Non-Negotiable: 15 New Rules Mandate CCTV, Staff Vetting, and Counselling
In a major step to protect schoolchildren, the state mandates daily roll calls, surveillance, staff scrutiny, and student counselling following the Badlapur sexual assault incident.
In the wake of last year’s shocking sexual assault of two kindergarten girls in a Badlapur school, the Maharashtra government has issued a comprehensive set of safety guidelines for all schools across the state. The directives, issued through a Government Resolution (GR) on May 13, aim to strengthen child safety mechanisms and ensure stricter implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Key measures include:
- Installation of CCTV cameras across all school premises with at least one month of video data storage.
- Three roll calls a day to track student attendance and prevent unreported absences.
- Compulsory counselling sessions for students facing emotional distress or harassment.
- Pre-employment character verification of all staff members, preferably with police-issued character certificates.
- Preferential hiring of female teachers for students from pre-primary to Class VI.
- Strict vigilance in school transport, including random alcohol tests for drivers and staff, and the mandatory presence of a female staffer on each school bus.
Schools have also been instructed to report any suspected offence against students to the local police or the special juvenile police unit. Non-compliance with these guidelines may lead to stringent penalties such as withholding of government grants or even cancellation of school registration.
The GR further mandates awareness efforts around child safety. Schools must:
- Teach students about good touch and bad touch.
- Promote use of the Chirag mobile app, developed by the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
- Form Sakhi Savitri committees at school, tehsil, and district levels to oversee child protection measures.
- Maintain special records for students with disabilities.
- Sensitise communities against child marriage.
Parents also bear a share of responsibility under the new order. Schools are urged to educate them about cyber safety, advising against sharing personal information online, encouraging antivirus protection, and warning against fake social media accounts. Periodic awareness meetings are to be held to reinforce these principles.
Additionally, schools are tasked with conducting self-defence and crisis response sessions, especially for girl students, to ensure that children are better equipped to handle threats.
This move is seen as a strong step by the state to restore trust in the school system and ensure no child’s safety is compromised due to administrative negligence.
