HRD Ministry suggests school safety norms

The Human Resource Development ministry on Tuesday suggested a set of guidelines, including issuing security identity cards and a separate database containing contact details to ensure safety of school children. 

Proposing the guidelines at a meeting of state education secretaries here, the ministry asked the states to adopt the new guidelines and ensure schools under their control complied with them. 

“The head of the institution should ensure issuing security identity card to all such students and maintain a separate database of personal details like guardian/ local guardian, home address, mobile, email, etc, of such students and the same is carried by the students on his person,” the ministry suggested.

The guidelines said schools should ensure study tours and excursions undertaken by students are relevant to their subjects, while stipulating that students should provide written consent from one of their parents or guardians of their participation in the excursion. 

Undertaking

They should also submit an undertaking that they would abide by the rules during the excursion.
A senior lady teacher should accompany the touring party if girls are part of the excursion, while the school heads should hire a local tour operator familiar with the conditions if the number of students exceeds ten. 

The guidelines also state that the school should write to the local authorities concerned if the excursion covers public places like dams, power plants, cities, beaches etc. 

“The head of the institution should also certify in the form of an undertaking that the institute will provide all necessary help in case of emergency or otherwise to all such students who are part of the educational tour,” the ministry suggested.