Delhi to set up child protection committees in all 5,633 schools by July-end
Child protection committees will be set up in all 5,633 schools in Delhi by the end of July, while teachers and school staff will be
Child protection committees will be set up in all 5,633 schools in Delhi by the end of July, while teachers and school staff will be trained on the POCSO Act as part of a wider child safety drive, officials said on Monday. The directions were issued by Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta during a meeting at Raj Niwas. Read Full Story The two leaders said child protection measures should become a permanent part of institutions and not remain limited to the month-long Child Protection Month campaign. An official statement said a comprehensive student safety checklist, in line with guidelines of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, is being implemented in all schools across the capital. The 5,633 schools include 1,077 Delhi government schools, 198 government-aided schools, 2,612 schools run by the MCD, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board, and 1,746 private schools.
The statement said, "Child Protection Committees have already been constituted in all Delhi government schools. The L-G and the chief minister directed that similar committees be established in all 5,633 schools across the capital by the end of this month." An additional deputy commissioner of police-rank officer has also been designated as the nodal officer in every district to monitor child safety-related cases and report to the DCP of the Special Police Unit for Women and Children. Special measures are also being made for the safety of children with special needs. Educational and vocational guidance counsellors are holding awareness sessions on safe and unsafe touch, gender sensitisation and personal boundaries, while students are also being given self-defence training. According to the statement, around 1,000 counsellors are currently conducting these sessions in Delhi government schools, and the Lt Governor and the chief minister have directed that such counsellors should be available in every school in the capital. Delhi Police has been asked to carry out special interventions for children in schools, those visiting parks and sports complexes, missing and homeless children, and those living in jhuggi jhopdi clusters, orphanages and child-care institutions.
Police will also conduct awareness and training programmes on the POCSO Act, school safety guidelines, cyber safety, bullying, prevention of drug abuse and extracurricular activities in schools. The Department of Women and Child Development will run a mass awareness campaign on the POCSO Act at Anganwadi-cum-Palna centres, related facilities and child-care institutions for children, parents and the wider community through videos, mobile awareness vans, printed material and other communication platforms. The Lt Governor and the chief minister also directed that training and capacity building of master trainers and other trainers in all schools be completed during July. Departments have been asked to submit compliance certificates for the student safety checklist, operationalise a comprehensive SOP for handling POCSO cases in schools, and form joint inspection teams comprising parents, education and women and child development department staff, police personnel and school heads. A large-scale awareness campaign for parents and children through parent-teacher meetings, audio-visual media and printed material will also be organised. The statement added that Delhi Police has been directed to ensure prompt and coordinated action in all POCSO cases, and that first-time juvenile offenders should be given counselling and rehabilitation to help their reintegration into society.
The BriefWire