SUPREME COURT GUIDELINES ON CHILD SAFETY IN SCHOOLs

SUPREME COURT GUIDELINES ON CHILD SAFETY IN SCHOOLs
Guidelines regarding prevention of sexual assault, rape and other related crimes on
school going children in the school premises/bus.
1. School management should ensure that no school children are handed over to
anyone except parents/or those authorized by the parents. (Through ID Cards).
2. No minor female students should be left alone with male staff.
3. School management should install sufficient CCTV cameras on its premises
and also facing road and entry, exit and periphery.
4. In case of emergency principal shall personally authorize custody of the child
to a female teacher until the parent/guardian come and take stock of the
situation.
5. Senior sections should be separated from junior ones.
6. School management should ensure that there are separate male/female toilets
and both at a distant from each other. Female attendants (Ayah) should be
appointed to monitor near the female toilets.
7. School management should compulsorily insist for police verification
certificate with antecedent and address verification while appointing/hiring
teachers, physical instructors, lab technicians, drivers, janitors and other
support staff including the security.
8. School management should ensure they hire staff from the reputed outsourced
vendors in transport, security, housekeeping and canteen sections.
9. School management should insist that the vendors should compulsorily get the
verification done to the staff who are supplied by them and produce the
verification certificate to the principal before deputing them on duty to the
schools.
10. School management should appoint security guards. Along with male guards
female guards should be deployed at the entrance and exit gates during school
hours.
11. School management should make security guard responsible to go round the entire campus and class rooms after the school is over to ensure nobody is
there in the class and report to the principal or senior teacher.
12. School management should send a circular to the parents of the children who
are using private 3 wheeler/four wheeler/cabs or any form of transport to get
satisfied about their conduct and antecedents along with proper address.
13. School management should ensure that all areas of the school premises like
class rooms, led play-grounds, canteens, corridors, etc. should be regularly
monitored and un-authorized person should be questioned for their presence.
14. School management should appoint some staff as vigilance monitors on
rotation to keep an eye on all activities of kids arrival and departure from
school, during playtime, mealtimes, near toilets etc.
15. School management should ensure that no child should be given dark room or
solitary confinement punishments.
16. School management should set up an internal vigilance committee comprising
of staff, parents and education department officials and meet periodically and
discuss the issues concerning the deficiencies in security and related issues
and take corrective actions.
17. School should nominate coordinator counselor for parents to inform about
their concerns to him/her in confidence.
18. School management should periodically or during their meetings with both
teaching and non-teaching staff discuss about issues concerning safety issues
of children and take feedback from the staff.
19. Schools should take attendance of children at the beginning of school, after
lunch and at the time of school closing. In case if any students are not
available then immediately the matter should be brought to the notice of the
parents/guardians and to the concerned including police.
20. The school principals should give strict instruction to the van drivers and van
attendants not to pick up any un-authorized persons into the vehicle who are not connected with the school.
21. The bus the driver/attendant should not allow the child to get down in the
middle other than the place of residence from where the child was picked up.
22. School management should install Display board regarding “Dos & Dont’s” in
front of the School/College premises.
23. School management may introduce Group messaging system.
24. Transport Guidelines: Keeping in view the safety of the school
All rules and regulations of the Government and Transport Department
and the following guidelines issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India
with regard to safety of school buses carrying children have to be followed in
letter and spirit keeping in view the safety of school going children:
a. School buses should be painted yellow.
b. School Bus must be written on the back and front of the bus. If it is
hired bus, “on School Duty” should be clearly indicated.
c. Bus should have a First Aid Box.
d. Bus should be fitted with speed governor of specified standard.
e. The windows of Bus should be fitted with horizontal grills.
f. There should be a fire extinguisher in the Bus.
g. School Name and Telephone No. Must be written on the Bus.
h. The doors of the Bus should be fitted with reliable locks.
i. To keep the school bags safely, there should be a space fitted under
the seats.
j. There must be a qualified attendant in the Bus to attend to Children.
k. Any parent or guardian sitting in the bus or a teacher may also travel
to ensure these safety norms.
l. The driver should have at least 05 years of experience of driving
heavy vehicles.
m. A driver who has been challenged (Fined) more than twice in a year
for offences like red light jumping, violation of lane discipline of
allowing unauthorized person to driver cannot be employed.
n. A driver who has been challenged (Fined) even once for the offence
of over speeding, drunken driving and dangerous driving etc. cannot
be employed.

By Adv Anubha Shrivastava Sahai