CHENNAI: Following recent incidents of sexual harassment of students in schools, the Chengalpattu collector has directed all schools in the district to implement a series of safety measures, including police verification of all new and existing teaching and non-teaching staff.
Newly recruited candidates must also submit a signed affidavit stating they have not been accused of any offence under the Pocso Act.
Schools have been instructed to submit a detailed action-taken report with photographs to the District Child Protection Unit by May 15.
The directive outlines 19 measures, including the formation of Pocso grievance committees to address cases of child sexual abuse and the appointment of two staff members as school child protection officers. Schools must also display posters about the NCPCR POCSO online complaint box and the 1098 child helpline. Additionally, a complaint box should be placed in a prominent location with easy access for students.
While a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary had already issued most of the guidelines outlined by the district collector, it remains unclear who the implementing authority for these measures is.
“This is a district-level initiative based on various government orders and the guidelines issued after the chief secretary’s meeting. We found that most schools do not properly implement these initiatives. Schools will be given time to comply with the guidelines, after which inspections will be conducted to ensure compliance,” said a district official.