Sunday, 06 OCTOBER 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has directed the Education department to ensure that all schools comply with guidelines regarding child rights. These guidelines include the formation of a POCSO committee, providing information related to child rights protection, and displaying the commission’s telephone number. The chairwoman of the SCPCR, Geeta Khanna, stated that the commission summoned the officials of Welhams Boys’ school in response to a recent ragging incident and after presenting documents, the school officials have been summoned again on October 8. Additionally, the commission addressed an incident of a fight between students at Convent of Jesus and Mary School, summoning the school’s principal, who did not appear before the commission purportedly due to unavoidable reasons. Khanna expressed displeasure at the principal’s absence, considering it an attempt to mislead the commission. She further emphasised the need for schools to form committees to address issues such as reservation-related problems and cyberbullying and to create plans for preventing the recurrence of such incidents through counselling. She said that despite the commission’s directives, neither the principal, the teachers, nor the parents took appropriate steps in response to the rise of incidents against students. Khanna also highlighted the commission’s earlier directive for schools to display the commission’s contact information on their gates, which many schools have failed to do. Considering this, she added that the commission has written to the Education department and issued orders for appropriate action on this matter.
