Safety & Security Measures
The school has a safe and serene ambience helping students to focus on studies and related activities with a sense of security. There is School Security System (SSS) that has prevented unpleasant incidents in school premises.
General precautions in the premses:
- Adequate CCTV cameras are installed for constant monitoring of whole school premises, access road and the road in front of main gate.
- Security guards, both male and female, are deployed at gate, passage to school building and corridors during school hours.
- There are staff members working as ‘Vigilance Monitors’ during school hours.
- Security guards check entire premises including classrooms, library, laboratories, canteen, toilets, office etc., to ensure that nobody is left in the school after school hours.
- All staff members, students and parents/guardians must wear ID card while in school premises.
- Management members also must have ID cards on their person.
- Unauthorized persons if found in the premises are questioned, taken to Principal/Asst. HM and police called, if necessary.
- Visitors must fill in visitor’s book kept with security and sign entry and exit timings.
- Heads of institutions can take prior appointment telephonically.
- No student will be allowed to go out of the school gate till the school session is over, once they enter the premises.
- No student, under any circumstance, is sent out of the school at odd hours, unless accompanied by parent or known person/ authorized person, identified through ID card.
- If needed, the student will be kept in the custody of Principal/ senior teacher, and parent/ guardian will be called.
- Henceforth, while appointing anyone Police Verification Certificate of antecedents and address will be mandatory.
- Contract workers like plumbers, electricians etc., will be appointed only through reputed agencies, and they will be allowed to work, except in emergencies, only after school hours and on holidays.
- There are Fire Extinguishers at each floor, auditorium, canteen, kitchen and laboratories.
- All class rooms are provided with Emergency Exit, to be used by Fire Brigade.
- Chemistry Laboratory keeps First Aid Box.
- Emergency Medical Kit is kept in Reading Room/ School Office.
- KG premises is out of bounds for visitors, without permission.
- Teachers to wear aprons and ID badge for identification by students and to give them sense of security. It also helps visitors.
- The sheltered school terrace is kept closed, and will be opened to children only when attended by teachers.
- During working hours:
- a)School gate will be opened fully only for the entry and exit of school buses. Otherwise, only one wing of the gate is kept open for pedestrians, and it will be manned by security.
- b)No other four-wheelers and three-wheelers will be allowed inside premises.
- c)Four/Two-wheelers of only employees and management persons are allowed in the premises
- School Committee and Management must review the safety measures and do needful.
Measures to protect children from sexual abuses:
In view of the rise in sexual offences against children, particularly girls, Supreme Court has promulgated guidelines for the protection of school children from sexual assault and related crimes. Subsequently, the State Dept. of Education, issued directives on the same, on 28th September, 2017. Accordingly, the school has taken safety measures and set norms of conduct for students, parents, staff and management to avoid unhappy incidents. Sexual Harassment Act identifies three kinds of indecent behavior:
- Molestation or Penetrative
- Mere touching of body parts
- By words or showing pornographic pictures.
Four vulnerable locations to be constantly monitored are identified:
School bus, toilets, lift and secluded places in the premises.
- Safety measures for school buses
- School buses are painted yellow, as required by Government, with school name and contact numbers highlighted.
- Bus-log, with name, address and contact numbers of children is maintained.
- Female attendant is deployed in all buses.
- Only Female teachers are allowed to use school bus.
- Buses have seat belts, First-aid box, Fire extinguisher, door –locks, grills and Emergency exits.
- Doors are closed and children remain seated when bus is in motion.
- Children to wear ID badges.
- No stranger or friend of driver or other employees allowed in bus.
- Transport-in-charge keep database and aadhar card of drivers and bus attendant.
- Drivers must have minimum 5 years’ experience; and to be removed in case of two traffic violation.
- Drunken driving and reckless driving entail termination of service. Drivers will be subject to ‘breath-analyzer test’, if necessary.
- Buses have Reverse camera, CCTV cameras and GPS system with facilities for storing CCTV footage for two months.
- Once the school bus enters premises, bus attendant and security at gate ensures that no child goes out of the gate, after alighting from bus.
- Safety rule for Toilets/washroom
- Every floor has separate female and male toilets, with sign-boards, located reasonably apart.
- There are female attendants (Aayah) in charge of female toilets.
- Washroom is mopped/cleaned by female aayahs.
- Girl’s toilets are provided with stock of Napkins.
- No washroom buddies are allowed.
- Isolated places for students and visitors.
- CCTV kept in working condition with backup facilities up to two months.
- Declare out of Bound areas.
Students with amorous inclinations are to be watched and parents informed about the aberration in conduct. School Counselor’s help must be sought to talk to the child and parents.
How to handle embarrassing situation
- In case any undesirable event occurs following procedure is to be followed:
- Immediately take the victim and the accused to Principal’s Office. If Principal is not available, Asst.HM and Supervisor of the section must act on Principal’s behalf, till he/she comes.
- Principal should not deal with the complaint alone but take the help of HM/Assistant HM and Supervisor of the section.
- Parents of both children are to be summoned at the earliest.
- Also inform the Principal Office bearers of Management.
- PTA Vice President and Jnt., Secretary of the section must be called.
- Complaint must be attended earnestly even if the complainant is mischievous or family background is in shade (not positive).
- See that there is no confrontation between accused and the victim, and that they do not come to bodily contact in any way.
- Don’t reveal children’s identity. Strict confidentiality is a must.
- Not only private parts but whole body to be regarded as one unit.
- None should take photograph or touch (soothingly or otherwise) without the consent of the child or parents.
- In serious cases like molestation, rape police must be called.
- Medical examination of children, if necessary, must be done with the consent of the children and parents.
- All rules and procedures of enquiry must strictly be adhered to.
Obscene acts, however small, by staff or management persons, parents and visitors in school premises will be dealt with stringently. Sexual abuse of helpless children is a heinous social crime not to be pardoned under any circumstance. Remember, “A stitch in time saves nine”.