GOVT ORDERS WEEKLY INSPECTION OF CCTV CAMERAS IN SCHOOLS

NEW DELHI: In a bid to curb the upsurge in criminal incidents in government schools, the ruling Delhi government has circulated an order of weekly security inspection of all the installed CCTV cameras in schools. According to its latest circular, the Directorate of Education ( DOE) has also ordered to vigil the conditions of availability of toilets and the structural safety of school buildings, while considering others things.

The order is an outcome of the last month meeting, in which the inspection cell of the DOE asked all the Regional and Deputy Directors of Education of all districts and zones to conduct inspections of all the institutions every week with a focus on security. The weekly inspection will cover everything from safety and security, teachers, students, staff and schools status.

The circular reads that all the schools in Delhi including MCD, NDMC, government schools, private schools, government aided schools shall carry out periodical inspec- tions of the school building and premises and submit a quarterly report to the office of the Directorate of Education, caretaking branch, GNTCD.

According to the sources, the DOE will also keep an eye on students by inspecting teachers' diaries and student attendance. The team will also do random checking of students' bags.

Nearly, 15,03, 787 students are studying in 1,029 government schools in Delhi. After the brutal murder of an eight year old student in the toilet of Ryan International school in Gurugram and following the rape of a five-year-old student by peon in South Delhi school, the government has constituted a committee to keep a check over such incidents, anti-social elements and incidents such as molestation, eve-teasing, sexual harassment, etc.

However, a month earlier, the Delhi government had directed all schools in the city to install CCTV cameras covering their entire premises and complete police verification of their non-teaching staff within three weeks. The government had also announced a high-level committee to frame guidelines to ensure safety of children within school premises.

According to the government officials, schools have been told to submit the details about police verification on the portal of the Directorate of Education (DOE). They are also supposed to furnish the details on the number of CCTV cameras installed and the number of functional ones.

Meanwhile, a high-level committee to be chaired by the DOE Director and comprising school principals, police officials and other stakeholders as members, has been constituted to frame guidelines for the safety of students in schools. The committee will examine various aspects be it transport safety or the conduct of the non-teaching staff and submit recommendations within a month.