KOCHI: News of sexual abuse of little ones at school leaves us shocked, aghast. Many parents recall the case of a Class I girl, who was molested by an intruder in the washroom of a private school in Mumbai. Similar was the case of a rogue sexually assaulting two eight-year-old girls inside a classroom at a corporation-run school in Delhi. But when such incidents happen closer to home, shock turns into concern.
Last Friday, a 35-year-old man, who impersonated a dermatologist, molested four girls at a government school in Chengamanad. A case was registered after the children complained to the school authorities, who informed the police.
The accused, Gafoor, went absconding. Officers, however, tracked him after analysing footages from 18 CCTV units. Notably, he was already booked under another POCSO case registered in Aroor. The issue does not end with his arrest.
Child welfare experts and police officers says the government and school authorities should pay more attention to student safety in schools. In many schools, they point out, there is no monitoring, and anyone can enter the campus without permission.
“The incident that occurred in Chengamanad should serve as a wake-up call to school officials and the government,” a police officer says, requesting anonymity. “Gafoor molested the students after breaking into the toilet complex. The school authorities had failed to implement security measures. If the school had deployed a security guard at the front gate to monitor the movement of people, this incident could have been avoided.”
Though there has been considerable improvement in quality of infrastructure and education, many government schools still lack proper campus monitoring. “The Chengamanad incident should be taken seriously. This must not happen again,” says former Child Welfare Commission chairperson Bitty K Joseph. “The school administration, in collaboration with the PTA, should provide a safe environment for the students. To track visitors, all schools must keep a visitor’s log. The government as well as school authorities should take steps to provide security guards at all schools.”
Indira Rajan, secretary-general of the National Council of CBSE Schools, says the Ernakulam incident should set off alarm bells across the state. “It is always the responsibility of school authorities to ensure students’ safety,” she adds. “We have deployed security personnel, so an unknown person will not be able to enter the school compound without permission. The CBSE has also issued a set of guidelines. The state government should take steps to avoid such incidents.”
Sunitha V, a teacher at an aided school in Palakkad, echoes similar views. “It is true that there are no strict regulations for entering government school campuses,” she says. “The PTA fund should be used to instal CCTV units and deploy security personnel. The government should also learn from the Chengamanad incident.”
Drug menace
Notably, the Chengamanad shocker came amid reports that schools are a major target of the drug rackets. Officers say many drug peddlers ‘connect’ with students on the premises of educational institutions.
Kochi city police data, for instance, shows that while 213 students (18-24) were booked in NDPS cases in the whole of last year, 456 were arrested in the first five months of 2022. “Though these figures pertain more to colleges, schools also should enhance security, and monitoring,” says an officer. “Targeting schools is the ‘Bengaluru model’ that these rackets are increasingly using.”
He points out that a survey in 2018 had revealed that 28.7% school children in Thiruvananthapuram had used banned drugs. Retired naval police officer and father of a girl student C S Gopakumar says the capital city might seem better off, when compared with Kochi. “But the threat is the same everywhere. As parents, the only thing we can do is pressure school officials to enhance security. The education department should issue strict guidelines,” he says.
Ernakulam police chief (rural) K Karthick stresses that school officials should take responsibility for students. “Security guards and CCTV units are vital to prevent abuse or criminal activities on school premises,” he adds.
Steps to protect students
Appointment of security personnel to monitor entrances
Employee identification badges
Visitor registration book
Dedicated parking and seating space for visitors
CCTV units
Gafoor molested the students after breaking into the toilet complex at the school. He was arrested after the children complaiined
Narco threat
A survey in 2018 had revealed that 28.7% school children in T’puram had used banned drugs
It is always the responsibility of school authorities to ensure students’ safety. The CBSE has issued a set of guidelines regarding this. The state government should take steps to avoid such incidents
Indira Rajan, secretary-general, National Council of CBSE Schools
The PTA fund should be used to instal CCTV units and deploy security personnel. The government should also learn from the Chengamanad incident
Sunitha V, teacher at an aided school