CWC direction to make schools safe for children

BHUBANESWAR:Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Khurda has directed the block education officers of Bhubaneswar, Begunia, Bologarh, Jatni and Khurda to instruct the Government and private schools to make the campuses safe for children.

Stating that the incidents of child sexual abuse were increasing in the State due to the negligence and lack of safety measures in schools, the CWC issued the direction to implement the Government guidelines strictly. The schools should ensure that the staff, parents and children are aware about the child protection protocol of the institutes, conduct independent risk assessment of their premises and related facilities, verify antecedents of all the staff and service providers before appointing them are some of the guidelines highlighted by the CWC.

According to State Government guidelines issued in 2014, teachers, facilitators and caretakers should undergo a training module on child protection, sensitize children and parents about the dos and don’ts regarding child sexual abuse, ensure redressal mechanism within and outside the school and sensitise management committee members about the child protection protocol.

Besides, the Government had asked the schools to share the name, designation and contact details of CWC Chairperson, SP, District Child Protection Officer, school student helpline number and designated child protection officer of the institutes with children, parents and staff.

“CWC directed the block education officers on May 31 to monitor the implementation of the guidelines and submit a report to the committee within one month,” CWC member Benudhar Senapati told The Express.