CBSE has ordered staff psychometric evaluations and security audit of schools after the case of Ryan International. The board asks the CBSE schools to review their campus security by local police within two months and while reporting back, they must consider meeting up with the 8 directives announced. As put in recent circular by CBSE, the institutions have to go through complete psychometric evaluation and verification of non-teaching staff.

The Central Board of Secondary Education is one of the largest education boards in India. It has more than 19,000 schools following its curriculum through the country. Dated September 12, its advisory comes at a time when an 8-year-old student of Gurgaon’s Ryan International was murdered allegedly by the school bus conductor. Raising alarm over the state’s security of children, this case triggered protests in the city.

The CBSE has sent these details in a circular on the safety of children to all its affiliated schools. Psychometric tests are to measure the candidate’s suitability for his/her role based on necessary aptitude and personality characteristics. Issued by Jaiprakash Chaturvedi (deputy secretary CBSE), the circular and its directives now have to be followed within two-months.
The board asked all CBSE School in India to report back on its website after completing the security audit within a short-span.
The advisory carried a list of eight directives:

1. Perform safety/security audient of personnel and premises from local police station. Follow the security-related obligations and advice for school children’s safety. These directions may be compiled and reported on the website of CBSE, www.cbse.nic.in, in 2 months of the circular’s receipt.
2. Every CBSE school in India must constitute unique committees for redressal of internal complaints committee on sexual harassment, parents/staff/students/public grievances, and committees as per directive of Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, 2012. The details of the committees with contact details are to be displayed on School Notice Board prominent and conspicuously at the website of the school, as information to all stakeholders as well.
3. All the vulnerable points and areas of the CBSE schools must be installed with functioning CCTV cameras. The cameras must be in operating condition at all times.
4. The staffs employed have to necessarily go through psychometric evaluation and verification. This will be applied to non-teaching staff as well such as bus conductors, drivers, support staff, peons and others. The tests have to be done in a detailed manner.
5. It must be ensured that supporting staff have to be employed from only authorized agencies and their proper records should be maintained.
6. Address safety needs of the students by constituting a committee of parents, teachers, and students, who are to also take regular feedbacks from the parents in this regard.
7. Any access to the premised and school building must be controlled for outsiders. The visitors are to be monitored strictly.
8. To protect children and students from any forms of abuse, the school have to property train and develop the staff by addressing such issues.

The directives can be updated from time to time by the board and the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Lapses or violations in regards to wellbeing and safety of children in campuses shall attract appropriate action, which can even be as worse as disaffiliation of the school.

Contact:
Rainbow International School Thane
www.rainbowinternationalschool.in
Phone No. 022 6114 7114