Guidelines on School Safety and Security 2021

Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education has developed ‘Guidelines on School Safety and Security-2021’, which are in alignment with the POCSO Guidelines. 

The guidelines which are advisory in nature, detail the accountability of various stakeholders and different departments in ensuring the safety and security of children in schools. States/UTs were informed that they may incorporate additions/modifications to these guidelines, if deemed necessary, according to the State/UT specific requirements and notify these guidelines.

 MoE has recommended the Guidelines on School Safety and Security (2021) for fixing the accountability of the School Management in the matter of Safety of the Children studying in all Schools including Private Schools.

Aim of the guidelines

The purpose of this guideline is:

• Firstly, to create an understanding among all stakeholders, including students and parents, on the need for co-creating a safe and secure school environment for the holistic development of children.
• Secondly, it is to make different stakeholders aware about the acts, policies, procedures and guidelines already available on different aspects of safety and security i.e., physical, socioemotional, cognitive and specific to natural disasters as well.
• Thirdly, it is to empower different stakeholders and enable clarity on their role in the implementation of this guideline.
• Fourthly, it is to fix accountability for keeping children safe and secure in schools (including while children are transported to and fro, to attend school or go back to their homes in a school transport) on School Management and Principals and Teachers in Private/Unaided Schools, and Head/in-charge Head of School, Teachers and education administration in case of government/government-aided schools.

A key purpose is to emphasize the ‘Zero Tolerance Policy’ against any negligence on the part of any individual or management when it comes to the safety and security of children in schools. 

Three-pronged approach to safety and security of children in schools

These guidelines are based on a three-pronged approach to the safety and security concerns in schools as follows:

• Accountability framework and legal provisions: The legal framework has been discussed first of all along with an accountability framework for safety and security of children in schools.
• Whole School Safety Approach: This approach entails the participation of all stakeholders,
  including among others, school management, Principals, teachers, students, parents, nonteaching staff, etc. with clear roles and responsibility towards school safety and security.
• Multi-sectoral approach: It is not only schools, but also homes and society; not only Ministry of Education, but also other ministries and departments that need to share the responsibility of developing safe and secure society in which the school functions.

Categories of negligence

It shall be the responsibility of the School Management and Principal in private schools and Principal/Head of school along with local school administration, be accountable to take preventive measures against all forms of negligence towards the safety and security aspects of children in schools. The negligence committed by the School Management/Authorities/Principal/Head of school/teaching and non-teaching staff may be broadly categorized as follows:

• Negligence in establishing a secured infrastructure for the students and children with special needs.
• Negligence to the quality, standard of the food served and portability of water provided to students in school for consumption.
• Negligence related to security measures adopted by the School Authorities for the safety of students.
• Negligence in providing timely medical aid to the students.
• Negligence in taking action against a complaint reported by a student.
• Negligence on corporal punishment including mental, emotional harassment.
• Negligence in preventing bullying, discriminatory actions, substance abuse in the school premises. 
• No regular monitoring and reporting to appropriate authority as mentioned
• Delaying actions in case of crime or disaster.
• Suppression of facts and not reporting to the appropriate authority.

Whole School safety approach

A whole-school safety approach involves all parts of the school working together and being committed to taking measures to make the school environment free of crime and violence, bullying, trauma, anxiety, etc. It is also about developing a democratic, fear-free and positive school culture through redefining school beliefs and values, policies and norms of behaviour and ensuring collective accountability through coordinated efforts in such a way as to gradually lower the risk of violence and mental stress, etc.

Schools which recognize the importance of a whole-school approach take care of not only physical infrastructure but also its formal classroom teaching and
learning and many more aspects of the whole-school environment.  

Guidelines on School Safety and Security document