Nearly 200 schools in Bangalore have been booked by the police for failing to implement its guidelines for child safety. The guidelines – issued following a spate of sexual assaults on children in schools and repeated protests by parents – were to be implemented by August 31.
The police said unless the schools can show good reasons for failing to take the measures and take action at the earliest, they would be chargesheeted.
Some of the measures recommended installation of GPS and CCTV cameras in school buses, not allowing bus drivers to mingle with children and issuing identity cards to those who come to pick up children from schools.
Of the 186 schools booked, 161 are private schools and 25 are government schools. While some of them have taken some of the measures, others are yet to do anything. Apparently, the expenses involved are a problem.
“Some measures suggested hardly involved financial expenditure, so that’s our prime focus now,” said MN Reddi, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore. “The schools, especially those which have not implemented the cost-effective measures, would be considered erring.”
