look news india
Mumbai: The government on Wednesday directed all schools in Maharashtra to install CCTV camera network within a month. The government has issued the order after the incident of sexual abuse in a school in Badlapur.
According to the Maharashtra Education Ministry, if the order is not followed, then steps will be taken including withdrawing permission to run the school.
After the incident at Badalpur school, protests took place in many parts of the state. The education minister's order states that all private schools in the state will have to follow the guidelines of installing CCTV cameras at appropriate places in the school premises. Action will be taken to stop the grant or withdraw the permission to run the school for the schools that do not follow the order.
The education minister's order states that the CCTV camera network is an important step to improve the safety of students, teachers and staff. The state's school education department has allowed five per cent of the funds allocated for government and government-aided schools in the district planning and development to be used for the installation of CCTV networks.
Instructions have been given to view the footage of the proposed CCTV network at least three times a week. The order states that if any worrying incident is seen in the footage, it will be the responsibility of the principal to contact the police. The school management has to check the background of all the employees with the help of the local police station. At the same time, schools will have to provide the photographs and details of the staff to the local police station. A 'complaint box' will have to be made available in the schools.
The state government has also issued guidelines making it mandatory for all schools to employ female staff in girls' toilets and to have female staff in buses, taxis or vans carrying students.