‘Ensure separate toilets for senior, junior students’

LUCKNOW: The safety of students on campuses has become a burning issue in wake of the murder of a Class 2 student in a Gurugram school last week.

As many as 585 schools affiliated to the ISC in UP and Uttarakhand have been asked to take measures to ensure safety of students on the campus.

Mala Mehra, president, Association of Schools Affiliated to the Indian School Certificate Exam, UP and Uttarakhand Chapters asked principals to be vigilant in their role as leaders.

The schools have been told that police verification of staff, drivers, conductors and all support staff is mandatory now. They have also been asked to appoint a nodal security officer who is on the campus before any child arrives and leaves after every child has left.

“Toilets should be separate for junior, senior students and male & female staff,” the letter reads.

If schools have toilets on every floor and or away from the main building, they will have to be fortified by CCTV cameras and support staff at all times. All toilets to be cleaned and locked by designated caretakers and keys submitted to office.

“Teachers will not leave classes during break time and after school till every child has left the classroom. They will have to ensure no kids loiter around after school,” said Mehra.

Students will have to carry passes when out of classrooms and only one child will be allowed to go out at a given time. Parents have to remain outside the gates at pick-up and drop times. Besides, the nodal security officer will do a complete campus check before he/she locks/leaves the campus. After the Gurugram incident, parents have raised concern over safety at schools.

“We have no idea how safe our children are at school. The institutions should take measures to ensure safety of our children,” said Archana Shukla, a resident of Sunderbagh.

Last month, a private school teacher in Lucknow allegedly slapped a Class 3 student mercilessly and dragged him for not responding to the roll call, following which she was booked by the police. The clip of the incident went viral on social media.

“Many schools make false promises about safety measures. These are just an eyewash,” said another parent, Varsha Singh, a resident of South City. Parents welcomed the Lucknow DIoS’ decision to make it mandatory for schools to get police verification all employees (including school van and bus drivers) done. Dy CM Dinesh Sharma said this will be strictly enforced.