Taking a major leap in the safety of schoolkids, the Rajasthan government has bound the administration of all schools - government and private - by coming out with guidelines under Jaipur Declaration 2018. For the first time, the department of child empowerment, Rajasthan, has instructed all schools to nominate Child Safeguarding Officers and set up a Student Safety and Surveillance Committee to oversee the safe stay of every kid and their return home.
The Jaipur Declaration unveiled by the governor of Rajasthan, Kalyan Singh, clearly states that the responsibility of the schools towards the children does not end at the gates. The declaration holds the management accountable for the safety of the kid who use school buses and those on field trips.
The rules make it illegal for schools to seek any declaration from the parents while assigning bus service to their kids that places the onus of child safety on them.
The guidelines state that under no circumstances can a school make parents sign any document accepting that the safety and security of children in the school or while traveling in school transport or on a school tour is not that of the school. “It is clarified that the responsibility to ensure safety of children’ while on the school premises, including time spent in extra-curricular activities before or after classes, during travel on school buses and while on school trips is solely that of the school management,” says the declaration.
The fresh rules seek group insurance for all children enrolled with a school.
The core objective of this guideline is, “To make school safe for children as mandated under different policies and guidelines issued by government and school authorities and to prevent and respond to any incidences of negligence, violence, abuse and harm to the children while at school or travelling on school provided transport or during school trip or an event”.
The schools have been directed to constitute a Students Safety and Surveillance Committee whose primary objective would be to make the school, its staff, its classroom transactions and activities, its physical infrastructure and transport system safe and hazard-free for children studying in the school.
What The Jaipur Declaration States
Schools shall face child safety audit every year. A Child Safeguarding Officer shall have to be deputed
The guidelines apply to all schools, public and private, where students under 18 yrs are enrolled
Students Safety and Surveillance Committee to conduct 4 audits in a year
The committee shall have representatives of parents and the local beat constable or policeman
The names and contact numbers of the committee members to be displayed on school notice board
Suggestion/ complaint box would have to be installed at every school
