Child safety panels must in schools

The Karnataka State Child Protection Policy - 2016, which received the Cabinet nod on Wednesday, makes it mandatory for all schools to have Child Protection Committees.

According to the policy prepared by the Department of Women and Child Development after consulting various stakeholders, Child Protection Committees (CPCs) will be chaired by the head of the institution. It will comprise a teacher or two, one of whom will be designated as child protection officer. The panel will also have two to three parents depending on school strength, two or more students (8th standard or higher classes) with equal gender representation.

According to the operational guidelines, the CPC will have to meet once in three months or immediately after a violation against a child is reported. The CPC will have to review the measures taken to ensure a child’s protection in the institution and also maintain registers, files and folders related to child safety. The tenure of the CPC will be for two years.

The 137-page policy mentions in detail the operational guidelines and procedures for educational institutions for child safety. While CCTV in schools has not been made mandatory, it provides for “safe recruitment and selection guidelines” of staff for schools. 

The policy makes it mandatory for schools to adopt access control. Visitors’ registers must  be maintained and gates monitored for entry and exit of service providers, consultants, marketing personnel. The institutions must ensure that a staffer accompanies students dropped in school vehicle.

Besides, all schools must have a customised child protection policy based on theirsize, whether it is urban, rural or in a remote area and whether it is pre-primary, primary, middle or high school.

 The customised child protection policy should be made accessible to parents and students.