TURA: West Garo Hills DC Pravin Bakshi has made it mandatory for all schools in the district to have child protection committees.
The need for such committees was felt after two students of Kendriya Vidyalaya Tura were allegedly raped by the acting principal and a teacher.
The decision was taken after consultation with the Chairperson of Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Meghalaya State Commission for Women, the District Child Protection Officer and her team, officials of Childline in Tura and other stakeholders.
“Every school – Private, aided and government – will have a child protection committee with not less than 50 per cent women members and a chairwoman. It will be preferable that the committee is a 10-member one with teacher representatives, parents, non-teaching staff, school counsellor if any and students themselves.
“The principal of the school may be the convener and chief patron in case of a male and chairperson if female,” Bakshi said.
The functions and roles of the committee will be to sensitise teachers, students and parents about child rights and the POCSO Act through regular awareness programmes and meetings. It will serve as a forum to discuss and decide on issues of harassment of children, corporal punishment, physical abuse, health and hygiene in school, sexual harassment in whatever form in the school and even outside.
The committee will take steps to have the services of a full-time counsellor (preferably a lady with proper training) in school for girl students, give equal voice to representatives of students and examine matters regarding students’ welfare, among others. It should also make students aware of the E-Button on the website of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, 1098 toll-free Childline number, 100 police number and information about the nearest women’s police station.
The committee will also coordinate with the district administration and the District Child Protection Unit for any awareness or sensitisation programmes on child rights and welfare, organise programmes and events to create awareness among children about ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ and what constitutes sexual harassment.
The duty of the committee will be to immediately report to concerned authorities instances and complaints of sexual harassment, physical abuse and corporal punishment so that action is also initiated as per law.
The DC suggested that each school should have a trained psychological/adolescent counsellor, however, if that is not possible, a sufficiently senior female teacher with requisite credentials to take the position.
