Affiliation Bye-Laws to ensure safety of students in the schools

The CBSE had stipulated certain conditions in the Affiliation Bye-Laws to ensure safety of students in the schools. The fulfillment of these conditions are supervised during the time of inspection of schools, but there is a need for a continuous verification of safety measures in the school as prescribed by the local authorities to ensure safety of the children studying in the schools.

Two important issues the CBSE Board would like to bring to the immediate attention of the school authorities are:

1. School Building Safety

The judgement passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in the Writ Petition (Civil) No. 483 of 2004 directed to ensure the following in all government and private schools functioning in our country:

(a) The school building is safe and secure from every angle and they are constructed according to the safety norms incorporated in the National Building Code of India.

(b) All existing government and private schools shall install fire extinguishing equipments within a period of six months.

(c) The school building be kept free from inflammable and toxic material. If storage is inevitable, they should be stored safely.

(d) Evaluation of structural aspect of the school building may be carried out periodically by strictly following the National Building Code.

(e) Necessary training be imparted to the staff and other officials of the school to use the fire extinguishing equipments.

All the Heads of Schools are, therefore to ensure that their institution is satisfying the norms set by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.

The exigencies concerning medical care during school hours demands for developing a mechanism for medical crisis management in each school. Creation of safe, fearless and secure environment is the prime requirement for providing holistic education. There is a need to create basic Medical Care facilities and systems in schools and also have tie up with a nearby hospital within a radius of 2-4 kms for any medical emergency.

The above issues are brought to the immediate attention of the school authorities to discuss by the school management to take appropriate steps in this regard. The issues should also be discussed with all the staff numbers to bring greater awareness among the staff and to increase their sensitivity to these issues.