Parents to get access to CCTV footage in classrooms: CM

NEW DELHI: Parents whose children study in Delhi government schools will have real-time access to CCTV footage of classrooms to ensure transparency and safety of children, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday. "Each parent will be given access to see his child studying in class on a real-time basis on his phone. This will make the whole system transparent and accountable. It will ensure the safety of kids," he said.

Taking stock of the progress of the project, the Chief Minister said that the process of installation of CCTVs in schools should start within three months. "Once the project starts, it was decided in the meeting that the Education Minister, Education Secretary and Education Director would have the rights to view any classroom of any Delhi Government schools through the app at any point of time," said an official.

The official added that there would be an auto complaint system to check the non-functioning of any CCTV installed in the schools. The auto system would itself lodge a complaint and it will go to the system integrator who would then rectify the camera.

"Each parent will be given access to see his child studying in class on real-time basis on his/her phone. This will make the whole system transparent and accountable and would ensure the safety of kids," said CM Arvind Kejriwal.

The CM took a review meeting over the project of installation of CCTV cameras in all classrooms of Delhi Government schools.

Earlier, the Delhi government has issued schools a 117-point checklist for ensuring student safety in their premises and warned that there would be "zero tolerance" for any violation. The checklist, including everything from toilets to cyber security, has been prepared in the wake of the brutal killing of a schoolboy in a Gurgaon school and the rape of a minor girl by a school attendant in Delhi, officials said.

Among the points listed are school safety committees, monthly safety walks to identify loopholes in security in the premises, securing boundary walls with grills, CCTV surveillance, maintaining records of every entry into the school and restricting visitors.

"All toilets should be well lit and have easy release lock from inside and no lock from outside. There should be no deployment of male staff in toilets for primary classes and all toilet visits of students up to Class 2 should be supervised by a lady caretaker," the guidelines state.