DM rap: 'Schools failing to comply would be marked unsafe on official website'

In the aftermath of the shocking rape of a nursery student on the premises DPS in Greater Noida by a 42-year-old life guard, the district administration held a meeting today with all Noida schools.

After the meeting, the district administration released an order comprising directives to be followed by management of all private school. They include:

1. All schools will have to follow the new guidelines directed by the state government for the safety of the children by August 5.

2. All schools have been directed to submit an affidavit on notarized stamp paper of Rs 100, stating that they will abide by the rules and safety guidelines issued by the CBSE and state government. The affidavits need to be submitted by August 5 at the office of Inspector of Schools, GB Nagar.

3. The affidavits will be undertaken by the principal and the administration of the school.

4. A separate list naming the schools that fail to submit the affidavit would be published on the official website of the district administration, marking them as unsafe for students.

5. The schools submitting their affidavit within the prescribed time limit will undergo an inspection by a team formed by the district administration. The team will comprise officials from the district administration and a representative from parent's association. The schools will be selected randomly for inspection.

6. The inspection process will start from August 20. Upon non-compliance, strict action will be initiated against the schools. It may also end up in the scrapping of recognition for the school.

A similar meeting was also held with all private schools of Greater Noida and same instructions were handed out to them.

However, this is not the first time when the district administration has issued guidelines to private schools. Directives were also issued when a seven-year-old boy was found with his throat slit on the premises of Ryan International School in Gurgaon and when Arman Sehgal of GD Goenka School in Ghaziabad died under mysterious circumstances on school premises.

But schools continue to flout safety norms, putting lives of students in jeopardy. Will it be any different this time?