North Delhi municipal corporation issues safety guidelines for schools

NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation has issued a circular specifying the ‘minimum safety standards’ to be followed by primary schools. Not following the norms will invite action by the civic agency.
The standards include formation of a school safety sub-committee within 15 days, organising monthly safety walks of the committee members and submitting the compiled reports.
In the report, committee members will ensure that all 116 safety points are adhered to by the school administrations.The points include directions on the height of boundary walls, CCTV cameras at gates, at least two guards at the main gate and separate entry for parking of buses.
“The guidelines for the ‘minimum standards for school safety’ are to be followed by corporation schools as well as the aided ones. These norms were shared with school administrations last year as well, but as they were not adhered to properly, we decided to share them again,” said a senior education official from north corporation. “The officials will ensure their strict compliance for the safety of students’ this time.”
Proper verification of visitors and issuing them passes for entry into schools, ensuring entry of staff, students only after seeing their identification cards and location of the principal’s office to be close to the entry gate are some of the other guidelines to be followed.
Besides students’ safety, the civic agency has also stressed upon building structural safety. “The committee, with four parents and head of school as members, will also verify if the school has structural safety certificate,” said the circular. Safety complaint boxes will also need to be erected at a couple of prominent areas for the convenience of parents.