Ryan Murder Case: CBSE Issues Circular on Child Safety to Schools

New Delhi: The Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) has issued a circular to all schools affiliated to it, asking them to take measures to ensure their safety of their pupils.

The circular, issued on Tuesday, said that the onus of safety and security of child in a school’s campus lies solely upon the school authorities.

It also asked schools to educate staff members to recognise their protective obligation towards students. Furthermore, it stated that schools should strive to promote a better understanding among teachers and staff on laws protecting the safety of children admitted there.

CBSE’s circular also listed preventive mechanism and procedures that should be implemented by schools to ensure safety of children studying there.

They include:

a) Get a security and safety audit done of school premises and personnel from their local police station and follow their security related advice for safety of school children. This may be complied and reported online to CBSE within two months.

b) Install CCTV cameras on all vulnerable areas and points and ensure they are functional

c) Get a police verification and psychometric evaluation done for all the staff employed. This should be done for non-teaching staff as well like bus conductors, drivers, peon, and other support staff.

d) Ensure that all support staff should be employed from authorised agencies

e) Constitute a parent, teacher and student committee to address safety need of the students and to take regular feedback from parents.

f) Access to school building by outsiders should be controlled and visitors monitored.

g) To provide training and development of staff to address their responsibility to protect children from any abuse.

h) Constitute a separate committee for redressal of public staff students and parent’s grievances. Internal complaint committee on sexual harassment and committee under POCSO.

This circular comes after a seven-year-old child was found murdered in Ryan International School on September 8. The student was found with his throat slit inside the school’s washroom. Ashok Kumar, a bus conductor, has been arrested for the murder.