Parents wary of kids’ safety in schools

Hyderabad: The tragic death of a seven-year old boy in the Ryan International School at Gurgaon in Haryana recently has triggered a serious debate among the parents in the city once again and they expressed concern over the safety of the school going children.

Parents associations and child rights activists want the State government to take pro-active measures to prevent incidents of child abuse and corporal punishments in schools. While many parents are worried about the safety of their children, many school managements are also a worried lot after the incident raked up a debate at the national level.

Similarly, the incidents of corporal punishments to students in schools have also been worrying parents as well as child rights activists. Responding to such incidents, activists have started questioning the enforcement agencies and the government for failing to take pro-active measures.

Incidentally, a girl student of Rao’s School in Hyderabad was made to stand in boys’ washroom for not wearing the school uniform, raking up a serious debate over ill-treatment of children in schools. Hyderabad Schools Parents Association (HSPA) Joint Secretary K Venkat Sai said that they have given a representation to the Commissioner of School Education and requested the officer to take steps to prevent abuse of children and their safety.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Monday, Venkat Sai said, “Absence of Parents Teachers Associations (PTAs) in schools could be termed as the main reason for such incidents. Schools do not let parents to have their say. There is a lot of monopoly in school affairs despite that fact that there is a law.”

He said that as per Section 46 of Child Protect Act, 1987, all school managements must formulate PTAs and involve the parents in the decisions taken at the school. He said that lack of will by the government and law implementing authorities only encourage to such incidents.

Haritha, a working woman said that it sends shivers down the spine when incidents of child abuse, murders or corporal punishments occur in the schools. She said, “We send our children to schools to learn and not to face the harsh punishments. It’s high time the government must take a call and take proper measures for preventing such things in schools.”

Balala Hakkula Sangham honorary president Achyut Rao said that School Education Department was meant to monitor the schools but the private school managements were dictating terms to the department. The safety and protection of children at schools in our State is at stake, he lamented. He said that if there were any violations of rules by school managements, they must be booked under section 75 of Juvenile Justice (JJ Act).

He condemned the incident wherein the girl student was made to stand near urinals and said that action must be taken against the school management. He said that due to the harassment in the schools, as many as nine children below the age of 12 years have committed suicide across Telangana this year.