‘Nishchint’ to keep kids safe
TS says app can block ‘Blue Whale’
Bearing in mind the growing concern of parents regarding the safety of schoolgoing children, Telangana’s commissioner of school education held a meeting with parents’ associations, district educational officers and private school representatives on Friday.
One of the issues discussed was addictive harmful electronic games such as Blue Whale. The commissioner told parents to make use of the mobile application Nishchint, which can block Blue Whale links and also sends alerts to parents if their child is trying to access the game.
Ms Radhika A., a parent, said, “We raised a lot of questions on the authenticity of the app. We were informed that it was an app produced in India but can support most phones and it has been tested by the government.”
Parents wanted the board to make safety audits compulsory in all schools. While some schools agreed to safety audits, some others did not agree to have parent involvement in the same. “The board should follow up with all schools. Parents must be notified about the security systems in schools,” said Ms Seema Agarwal, a parent who attended the meeting.
Many parents wanted better counselling mechanisms in schools.
Schools have been asked to keep a look out for sudden introverted behaviour, which is an indication of interest in harmful addictive games. Schools were also advised to check the qualifications of the teachers they employ and ensure they have passed the Teachers Eligibility Test.
“We have seen a rise in cases of teachers caning and punishing students. Such cases are getting a lot of attention these days but it needs to be dealt with firmly,” said Mr Murali Anand, a member of the Hyderabad Schools Parents Association member.
An official from the education board said corporal punishment cases will be dealt with and urged students to speak up against it.