<p>Bengaluru: Starting a new new school? Be ready with three new certificates showing that the school premises ensure social-emotional-personal, sexual and cyber safety.</p>.<p>The department of School Education and Literacy, which has invited applications to register new schools in the 2026-27 academic year under permanent affiliation, has demanded these three new certificates from schools, besides building and fire safety clearances.</p>.<p>This move has irked schools who say they have no clarity on who issues these certificates.</p>.Karnataka MP demands smart phone ban in school campus .<p>“Even if it is self certification by the schools, how can they certify children’s emotional safety?” questioned private school management representatives.</p>.<p>D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka said, “When there are already problems with building safety and fire safety certificates, the department has added a few more. There is no clarity on the requirement or issuing authority of the new certificates demanded by the department.”</p>.<p>Shashi Kumar further stated that cyber security is not the domain of schools.</p>.<p>“Teachers or managements cannot give social and emotional safety to children as they won’t be aware of the emotional issues they are undergoing at home,” he added.</p>.<p>He added that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure children’s cyber safety. “We have been requesting the government for several years to bring in proper regulations to ensure children’s cyber security. We have submitted several representations to the government and departments concerned, but have received no response,” Shashi Kumar said.</p>.<p>However, private schools have no objection to ensuring personal and sexual safety as it is covered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act.</p>.<p>Department officials clarified that all these clauses have existed for years but schools had to just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and no certificate was demanded.</p>.<p>“Just a self declaration by the schools ensuring all these three safety measures will be accepted,” said Suralkar Vikas Kishor, Commissioner Department of School Education and Literacy.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Starting a new new school? Be ready with three new certificates showing that the school premises ensure social-emotional-personal, sexual and cyber safety.</p>.<p>The department of School Education and Literacy, which has invited applications to register new schools in the 2026-27 academic year under permanent affiliation, has demanded these three new certificates from schools, besides building and fire safety clearances.</p>.<p>This move has irked schools who say they have no clarity on who issues these certificates.</p>.Karnataka MP demands smart phone ban in school campus .<p>“Even if it is self certification by the schools, how can they certify children’s emotional safety?” questioned private school management representatives.</p>.<p>D Shashi Kumar, general secretary of the Associated Management of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka said, “When there are already problems with building safety and fire safety certificates, the department has added a few more. There is no clarity on the requirement or issuing authority of the new certificates demanded by the department.”</p>.<p>Shashi Kumar further stated that cyber security is not the domain of schools.</p>.<p>“Teachers or managements cannot give social and emotional safety to children as they won’t be aware of the emotional issues they are undergoing at home,” he added.</p>.<p>He added that it is the government’s responsibility to ensure children’s cyber safety. “We have been requesting the government for several years to bring in proper regulations to ensure children’s cyber security. We have submitted several representations to the government and departments concerned, but have received no response,” Shashi Kumar said.</p>.<p>However, private schools have no objection to ensuring personal and sexual safety as it is covered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (Pocso) Act.</p>.<p>Department officials clarified that all these clauses have existed for years but schools had to just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and no certificate was demanded.</p>.<p>“Just a self declaration by the schools ensuring all these three safety measures will be accepted,” said Suralkar Vikas Kishor, Commissioner Department of School Education and Literacy.</p>
