Gurgaon schoolboy murder: CBSE issues safety guidelines for schools

The circular directed schools to install CCTV cameras, asked for police verification of staff and control entry in school building by outsiders among other guidelines.

In the wake of the gruesome murder of 7-year-old-boy at the Ryan International school in Gurugram, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Thursday issued a circular with guidelines for schools regarding safety of children in schools premises.

The circular directed schools to install CCTV cameras, asked for police verification of staff and control entry in school building by outsiders among other guidelines.

In a circular, CBSE said that since children are spending most of their time in school, the concern of parents about the safety of school children is increasing every other day regarding their physical safety, mental and emotional health or child abuse owing to increasing incidents involving safety and well-being of school children.

"The onus for safety and security of children in school campus shall solely lie upon the school authorities. It is a fundamental right of a child to engage and study in an environment where he/she feels safe and is free from any form of physical or emotional abuse or harassment," said the circular.

"Training should be provided to the school staff to address their responsibilities to protect children from any form of abuse," the directive says.

"Any violation/lapses with regard to safety and well being of children in school campus would invite appropriate action including the disaffiliation of the school as per the provisions under affiliation by-laws of the board," it adds.

The fresh circular comes a day after the five-member CBSE team headed by D Arun Kumar, Deputy Director, CBSE (Security), inspected every corner of the school in Bhondsi, Gurgaon to examine the security loopholes inside the school, clicked photographs and videographed the lapses found. The team reached the school at around 10 am and inspected the school till 1 pm.

PTI reports said the CBSE team will submit its report to the Human Resource Dvelopment (HRD) ministry on Class II student Pradyuman Thakur's murder inside the school toilet on 8 September.

(With agency inputs)