Jaipur, Aug. 17 -- The Rajasthan govt has restricted the entry of outsiders into govt schools without prior permission of the principal and barred photography and videography without written approval, a move which came after the CJP announced it would inspect schools in the state that are in a "poor" condition.
The govt order issued on Sunday evening also comes in the backdrop of protests in some government schools across the state over alleged lack of amenities and shortage of teachers. Videos and reports of such demonstrations have been circulated in the media and on social media in recent weeks.
Rajasthan Education minister Madan Dilawar defended the order, saying it was aimed at protecting the privacy, safety and rights of minor students and did not impose a blanket ban on visitors.
In a social media post on Sunday morning, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Ashutosh Ranka said the party would visit schools in Rajasthan which are in a poor condition.
"So far, I have received requests from Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Kota, Barmer, and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan to inspect schools in poor condition. In these places, the administration is refusing to heed demands to fix the schools. I will be visiting all these locations over the next few days," he had said.
Hours after the CJP post, the Director of Secondary Education Lalit Kumar issued a circular that stated that under the principle of "in loco parentis" (in the place of a parent), it has a special responsibility to ensure the safety, dignity, privacy and welfare of children studying in government schools.
Citing Article 21 of the Constitution, a Supreme Court judgment on the right to privacy and guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the department said the measures were aimed at ensuring a safe, protected and child-friendly environment in schools and safeguarding children against exploitation and invasion of privacy.
Under the directions, no outsider, except a government official duly authorised for official duties, will be allowed to enter a school campus without prior permission of the principal or head of the institution.
Every visitor will also have to make an entry in the visitor register before entering the premises.
The circular issued on Sunday further says no outsider can enter classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, playgrounds, toilets or areas where student activities are taking place without being accompanied by the principal, a teacher or an authorised school official.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.