Child panel issues transport safety guidelines for all schools
Apart from reiteration of the existing regulations such as having GPS and CCTV, speed governor, emergency alarm facilities on school buses along with female staff, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and other details, the document issued on Friday by the MSCPCR provides additional guidelines to ensure safety during school excursions.
2 min read
All the guidelines are now extended to buses used for school excursions too.(Express Photo by Arul Horizon)In the light of recent instances of breach of rights of children in school buses, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) on Thursday issued transport safety guidelines for all schools.
Apart from reiteration of the existing regulations such as having GPS and CCTV, speed governor, emergency alarm facilities on school buses along with female staff, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and other details, the document issued on Thursday by the MSCPCR provides additional guidelines to ensure safety during school excursions.
Advocate Susieben Shah, Chairperson, MSCPCR, said, “Apart from ensuring functional GPS and CCTV camera arrangement on school buses, the school management should ensure that footage should be kept secured as backup for at least 15 days which can be used for police investigation.”
The guidelines now instruct that school management shall ensure that the details of the driver, contact details of the school, owner of the bus, helpline number of transport department, registration number of the vehicle and name of the school shall be displayed at prominent places inside and outside the bus in contrast colour.
All the guidelines are now extended to buses used for school excursions too. While the guidelines refrain schools from outsourcing the services, it also underlines the responsibility of management to ensure safety in case of outsourcing of bus-service for school excursion.
Prior to the excursion, children should receive training on recognising good touch and bad touch in accordance with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Encourage open discussions to create awareness and empower students to speak up against inappropriate behaviour.
According to information shared by the MSCPCR, the guidelines were framed in consultation with all stakeholders in a meeting with representatives from Mumbai police, transport and education department and representatives from civic body, parents, school managements and bus owners held on March 11.
You May Like
Photos
