CHENNAI: Following the recent incident in Krishnagiri where female students from a private school were sexually assaulted during an unauthorised NCC camp, the directorate of private schools has issued a directive to schools warning against conducting any National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), Scout and Guide, or Junior Red Cross (JRC) camps without obtaining prior permission from the district education officer.
According to the circular issued to district education officers in charge of private schools, schools are required to secure prior approval before organising any camps on their campus or anywhere else. They must seek approval by submitting a letter from the state or district office-bearers of the respective organisations.
“While there are standard instructions in place, we have now made them specific so that the safety of students is ensured,” said officials from the directorate of private schools.
Schools are required to appoint an adequate number of male and female teachers to ensure the safety of students during these camps.
The circular also mandates that female students must be trained by female instructors and male students by male instructors, in accordance with the guidelines provided by the state unit.
Moreover, students should not participate in any activities without teacher supervision, and schools must obtain individual permission letters from the parents of all participating students.
The letter also stated that private schools must be properly registered with the state unit of the respective organisations to run NCC, Scout and Guide and JRC units. Schools are also required to have teachers who have received training from the state unit and they are not permitted to operate a unit if such trained teachers are unavailable.
The district education officers have been instructed to distribute this communication to all private schools and ensure they acknowledge receipt of the guidelines.
