Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairman K. Naganna Gowda directed private schools to give children’s safety top priority. Schools should act in a student-friendly as well as parent-friendly manner, he said.
The meeting was held by the commission with private schools managements on Thursday. “There are more complaints about fees and safety in private schools. Therefore, the management should try to resolve these problems at the school level,” Mr. Gowda said.
“The managements should train teaching staff and non-teaching staff like school van drivers, helpers, and others about children’s safety and protection, and hold a review every week,” he insisted.
In response to this, the school managements promised to take necessary measures for safety and protection of children in the school. However, they also suggested that the commission should be active in instructing the Police and Transport Departments to formulate and implement some guidelines for further safety.
Parents giving bikes to minor students, misuse of mobile phones, participation of minor girls on social networking sites, sale of cigarettes and tobacco products around the school, online games, and unauthorised tuition centres were also discussed.
D. Shashikumar, general secretary of KAMS, B. Gayatri Devi, secretary of ICSE school organisation, others were present at the meeting.
