Supreme Court Orders Implementation of Child Safety Guidelines in Schools Across India

The Supreme Court of India has directed that the Centre’s guidelines on the safety and security of children in schools be implemented across all states and union territories. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will coordinate with states and union territories to ensure these guidelines are followed.

Background

This decision comes after several incidents of sexual assault in schools, including a tragic case in Badlapur, Maharashtra, where two schoolgirls were allegedly raped by a staff member. An NGO named ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan’ filed an application seeking the enforcement of these guidelines.

Details of the Guidelines

The guidelines, developed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in consultation with the NCPCR, aim to hold school management accountable for the safety and security of children in government, government-aided, and private schools. The guidelines were initially prepared on August 20, 2018, and later updated on October 1, 2021.

Implementation and Monitoring

The Supreme Court has asked the union government to send copies of these guidelines to chief secretaries or equivalent officers in all states and union territories. The NCPCR is tasked with coordinating and monitoring the implementation and will seek status reports from the states and union territories.

NGO’s Concerns

Senior advocate HS Phoolka, representing ‘Bachpan Bachao Andolan,’ informed the court that only five states have implemented the guidelines so far. The NGO emphasized that the safety of children is being compromised due to the failure of state and union territory governments to notify these guidelines.

The petition filed by the NGO dates back to May 6, 2019, and highlights the urgent need for these guidelines to be enforced to prevent further incidents of abuse and assault in schools.