The Noida district magistrate has issued an advisory directing all educational institutions to set up a “Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Committee” in response to recent sexual assault incidents that occurred in Noida schools over the past two months.
These committees will be responsible for addressing abuse complaints, ensuring staff training on child safety and the Pocso Act, and raising awareness among students, parents, and staff, The Times of India reported.
“The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights says all schools must have a committee where complaints of sexual abuse can be addressed. But, in the wake of a couple of incidents of sexual assault on campus, the administration has issued an advisory to remind schools about the importance of such a committee. This will help us prevent such incidents. And if something happens, unfortunately, it can be dealt with a heavy hand,” said Manish Verma, the Noida DM, told The TOI.
What will the committee include and its key roles
The advisory, issued earlier this month, mandates that school staff undergo training on the provisions of the Pocso Act and child safety and protection. Officials emphasised the importance of training teachers, who interact regularly with students, to prevent such incidents from happening again.
Staff should also be trained to identify signs of stress in children, according to the advisory.
Each committee, led by the principal, will include teachers, school management representatives, a counsellor, parents, students, and external members such as a child protection officer or an NGO representative. The committee will organise regular workshops for parents and students to raise awareness about the Pocso Act.
According to the advisory, every staff member must undergo police verification and background checks. It also mandates that campuses be equipped with CCTV cameras wherever possible.
Two cases of sexual abuse reported recently
Two students, aged three and six, were allegedly sexually assaulted on the campuses of two prominent English medium schools in September and October.
In the incident that took place on October 4, the child, 3, was taken to a locked medical room in the school and sexually assaulted by a housekeeping staffer, the mother told The Times of India. When a woman staffer entered the room after hearing the child scream, the man then leapt out a window and escaped. The mother claimed the child was eventually escorted back to her class by a teacher. The mother further said that her daughter refused to go to school on October 7 and complained of pain in her private parts.
In both cases, the teacher and principal initially withheld information and allowed the accused to escape. KC Virmani, chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, said that most schools in the city were unprepared to handle such incidents. The mother added that her daughter refused to go to school on October 7 and complained of pain in her private parts.
“It’s a great concern that cases of sexual abuse are increasing on campuses. School authorities should act decisively and quickly on complaints of abuse. But most of them are ill-equipped,” he said. “Schools should provide awareness to not just their students and staff, but parents too. They should be educated about their responsibilities in ensuring a safe learning environment for their kids and have clarity on what constitutes child abuse,” Virmani was quoted as saying.
“Schools must have accessible, confidential channels for reporting abuse and responding promptly to any incident. They should work closely with law enforcement and child protection agencies. Every school must have posters with helpline numbers displayed on the premises,” she said.
“These steps aim at providing a secure and supportive environment and strengthening trust among students and parents,” Virmani added. According to Renu Singh, the district coordinator of CBSE, most prominent schools in the city have functional committees to address complaints of sexual assault.
“Look, there is a CBSE guideline to have a committee to address sexual assault complaints. Schools are required to comply with these guidelines. At our school, we already have a committee,” said Singh, who is also the principal of Amity International School.
Virmani said that many schools had responded to the advisory, confirming their compliance with it.