Karnataka has seen its fair share of controversy over the past year on the school education system. Whether it pertains to high-level policies, condition of government-run schools or ground-level schooling, all have brought the state school system to the fore and raised questions on how children are treated in their learning spaces.
On paper, these questions are answered by the Karnataka Child Protection Policy 2016, currently being revised by the state government. The policy is a comprehensive document, dictating the rights afforded to children by the state, as well as protection against any type of abuse they might face.
The policy framework for ‘Child in Educational Institutions’ includes two sections: Access to free, quality and equitable education, and safety and protection from any form of discrimination, abuse or exploitation. These two sections detail the rights of a child, and how they should be upheld by educational institutions. It includes encouraging the use of technology to document the extent to which the policy is enforced, ensuring access to education, rescue from abusive families, and basic child safety regulations.
However, lesser known and lesser still implemented, are points related to ensuring that children are given health check-ups – both physical and mental – every three to six months, access to a qualified and experienced counsellor, and compulsory background checks and police verification for every member of the staff working in an educational institution.
While the policy is comprehensive and presents a utopic view of what education should be like, the reality on the ground suggests the contrary. Kavitha Rathna, one of the drafting committee members of the 2016 policy, told TNIE that several incidents have proven time and again that the policy is poorly executed, despite there being clear-cut guidelines to act to ensure safety of children within school premises and outside. The incident of Sannidhi, a Class 2 student from Byndoor, Udupi district, who was washed away in a stream while crossing an unsafe wooden footbridge in August this year, exposed how the child protection policy is poorly implemented.
Educationist and child rights activist B K Narayan said there is a need to improve awareness on the policy among teachers and School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) members. It is the responsibility of all citizens to provide and protect the rights of children. School authorities, teachers and SDMC members have to ensure these rights are protected, while they have been diluted or neglected under various circumstances. Proper monitoring is important, he said.
No safety
There is no safety for children in state schools as ground-level officials allege that most schools have no Child Protection Policy in place. “Absence of CPP has resulted in several violations. We came across a sexual abuse case last year in a school by a staff member, but it was not properly handled. There is no proper care in daycare centres as staff become violent. Corporal punishment, oral abuse, no space for right to participation and expression, neglecting children, be it physical or mental care, are some of the violations we come across,” said Joyce Watson of PADI, a non-government organisation.
For example, last week, in a government school in Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada, a student fell down and suffered head injuries, and teachers were accused of asking fellow students to give first aid to the injured child. The Deputy Director of Public Instruction then sought a report and issued a circular to make sure such incidents do not repeat.
Lack of awareness
There is lack of awareness about the policy in many parts of the state. For example, child marriage and child labour are still in practice in many villages of Kalaburagi district, says Child Welfare Committee district chairman Yallalinga Kalnoor. He said the Child Protection Policy speaks about solutions to many problems faced by students. SDMCs and schoolteachers know about only a few things. He said that no case of students getting injured while playing or due to sheer negligence of school authorities, have come before the CWC so far.
“Children do not understand what abuse is, so there is a need to sensitise teachers. There should be awareness at all stages to make children more open and comfortable,” said Joyce Watson of PADI.
In Shivamogga, CWC experts opine that most SDMC members and teachers of many schools don’t have knowledge about the Child Protection Policy, and have failed to implement it at an optimum level.
Chairperson of Shivamogga CWC Rekha said that very few SDMC members and teachers have knowledge about the policy, not everyone has read it completely and none provides awareness about it. Sometimes teachers, despite having information about the policy, can’t express it because of the management, she said.
She said the reasons for not having knowledge about the policy, and failure in implementing it, is because of a lack of awareness among the masses, frequent teacher transfers, heavy workload, lack of coordination between teachers and SDMC members at some schools.
Rekha said the government has issued many orders and circulars to implement the policy strictly. Some schools are implementing it, while at others, it is only on paper. She said the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) has a separate wing to provide training to stakeholders of child protection, teachers, headmasters and anganwadi teachers, regarding the policy. Regular training has been provided by DCPU in recent days.
Action Taken
DDPI Sakreppa Gowda Biradar said every government school in the district has first-aid kits and physical education teachers are trained to give preliminary treatment to children whenever they are injured during play. As Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are near, either the staff comes to school or the child is taken to the PHC within a few minutes. So far, no such health incidents have been reported, DDPI said. Apart from this, a team formed under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram at the block level used to visit schools at frequent intervals, the DDPI said.
In Kodagu, officials say that several private schools in the district have special staff appointed to ensure the safety of students. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Kodagu Vidyalaya in Madikeri has appointed a full-time professional nurse who is present on the school premises during working hours.
“Any untoward incident is first attended to by the nurse, and first-aid extended to the injured child. Further, all students are covered by an insurance policy extended by the school management. We are also creating awareness among parents on the need for medical insurance for kids. The management also holds ESI. Emergency cases are first referred to a government hospital as per the guidelines of the education department,” confirmed a committee member of BVBKV management.
In Dharwad, DDPI SS Keladimath said there is a continuous process of training teachers and students on the CPC. “Such training is going on in Hubballi. Schools have all emergency kits to treat children, and there is no issue with emergency vehicles in city limits. In rural areas, private vehicles are arranged.
Action needed
Childline officials have demanded that the government come up with a strong CPP, and not make it toothless. “They have called for recommendations for the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy draft, and we too have sent our suggestions which the government should consider,” said Renni D’Souza, chairman of Child Welfare Committee, Mangaluru.
Kavitha Rathna said the policy was prepared in 2016 after consulting many stakeholders and also contains that it needs to be revised every five years. Apart from revision, rapid response at the school level and BEO level should happen to ensure the policy is not compromised in any school, she added.
In the event of violation, the children, or a person with social concern, or through Childline (1098) can approach the District Child Welfare Committee for redressal. The District Child Welfare Committee can register suo motu cases and initiate proceedings to provide justice to the child. In this regard, various awareness programmes should be arranged by the Childline, District Child Protection Unit, departments of education and women and child development, from time to time, said activist B K Narayan.
Children can also approach the police station and meet the child welfare officer who will provide all assistance. This officer is child-friendly and in civil dress, and is part of the Special Juvenile Police Unit (SJPU), B K Narayan informed.
Policy points
Some measures mentioned under ‘Child in Educational Institutions':
(Inputs from Donna Eva, Divya Cutinho/Mangaluru, Ramakrishna Badseshi/Kalaburagi, Arpitha I /Shivamogga, Prakash Samaga/Udupi, Prajna GR/Kodagu, Pramodkumar Vaidya/Dharwad)