CISCE to come up with School Safety Manual by April end

Kolkata: The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is coming up with a School Safety Manual by the third week of April with special emphasis on safety and security of students in all the 2300 ICSE schools across the country.

"We have an existing 2005 manual on school safety which is followed at ICSE schools across the country. We are bringing some amendments in it and the fresh manual will be sent to all the schools by the third week of April," Gerry Arathoon, Chief Executive and secretary of CISCE said on the sidelines of a programme at the Calcutta Boys' School on Tuesday. There are around 400 odd ICSE and ISC schools in Bengal.

In recent times, there have been a number of complaints of sexual abuse at some schools across the country including that of Bengal in the wake of which there has been demand of a revamp of the safety and security of the schools.

The manual instructs the setting up of a School Safety Sub Committee which involves parents, teachers and students with the School

Management to play important role in adopting practice of periodic and repeated safety guidelines.

The Council is also ready to allocate special budget for schools to adopt new technologies to ensure student safety.

The manual will also stress on creating awareness related to operational hazards in schools associated with electrical, fire, water, gas, lab chemicals etc and ensuring psychological and emotional well being of the students.

The manual will also instruct schools to identify children with special needs and provide adequate care and safety to them. Schools also need to put in place feedback mechanism to address issues on child safety and security.

"We are hopeful that these measures will help in creating gender sensitiation and curb sexual harassment of girls in schools," a senior CISCE official said.