Pune Police and Education Departments Implement New Safety Measures for School Staff

Pune, 6th September 2024: Following the incident in Badlapur, concerns about student safety have come to the forefront. The police, in conjunction with the education departments, have issued instructions for immediate character verification of all contractual workers and staff in schools. Schools are now in the process of obtaining character verification certificates for contract workers and employees, with a focus on verifying school van drivers, rickshaw drivers, helpers, sanitation workers, and other non-teaching staff across pre-primary, primary, secondary, and higher secondary levels in Pune City.

Last week, the Pune City Police Commissioner convened a meeting with school managers and principals, where guidelines were provided. Schools were instructed to verify the character of not only regular employees but also contractual personnel such as security guards, sweepers, helpers, and school bus drivers. Principals and managers were advised to ensure that contract employees submit their character verification certificates to the school immediately. Local police are now actively involved in verifying the character of contract employees and workers.

Nand Kumar Sagar, President of the Pune District Headmasters Association, stated that, per the Education Department’s instructions, character verification for school contract workers and employees is underway. While the police are handling the verification, Sagar raised concerns about whether character verification alone will address the issue, as many accused individuals escape due to lack of evidence and pressure. He urged the government and police to take more effective measures.

Sujit Jagtap, President of the Pune City Principals Association, noted that both the education department and the Pune City Police Commissioner have emphasized the importance of character verification for school contract workers and employees. Once obtained, these certificates will be kept by school management. However, Jagtap questioned the certificate’s validity period and whether re-verification would be required after a certain time.

Essential Measures for Schools:

– Every school should have a counsellor.
– Conduct workshops on ‘safe touch.’
– Work in coordination with the ‘Damini Team.’
– Teach students martial arts and self-defence.
– Encourage communication between teachers, parents, and students.

Precautions Before Appointment:

– Monitor employee behaviour.
– Conduct thorough background checks on contract workers, in addition to regular employees.
– Obtain a character verification report from the local police system before appointment.
– For non-teaching staff working with students up to six years old, prioritize hiring female staff.