New Delhi, Aug 18: Following “Zero Tolerance Policy‟ against negligence, the Union Ministry of Education has directed all States/UTs to ensure the structural safety of school buildings and identify dilapidated structures through safety audits, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.

Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan informed the House that a direction for a comprehensive safety audit of school buildings was issued on August 7, advising demolition if required, or repair of structurally unsafe structures, and prohibiting use until certified safe.

Pradhan, in response to a question by Alok Kumar Suman, said the authorities are

advised to arrange temporary schooling where needed, gainfully use the space created due to demolition, ensure regular monitoring and reporting, and ensure safety/ structural fitness compliance certification for any re-occupancy.

The Union Education Minister said States/ UTs are instructed to enforce the rules strictly

above measures and avoid any further injuries and loss of life due to preventable infrastructure failures.

He said the Centre, on earlier occasions, had issued various guidelines for ensuring the safety and security of children in schools, including the Guidelines on School Safety and Security by the Department of School Education and Literacy issued on October 1, 2021.

In 2017, Guidelines on School Safety Policy by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA, 2016) were also released on February 27 that year, he said.

Pradhan said that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also examined and compiled different guidelines and developed a comprehensive

manual titled “Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools” dated February 26, 2018, for students’ safety.

Apart from these, there are National Disaster Management Guidelines on School Safety Policy on designated activities like conducting safety audits, annual mock drills, installation of fire-extinguishers, training of students and teachers in school safety and disaster preparedness, adherence to safety norms to storage of inflammable and toxic material and grant of recognition certificate only to those schools that comply with structural safety norms specifically pertain to fire safety, the Education Minister said.

Pradhan said, collectively, these guidelines, inter alia, contain provisions for ensuring the safety and security of children in schools and fixing the accountability of various stakeholders and different departments, Pradhan said.

The guidelines aim to foster collaboration among stakeholders for a safe school environment, raise awareness of existing safety policies, clarify roles in implementation, assign accountability for child safety during school activities and transportation, and enforce a strict “Zero Tolerance Policy‟ against negligence, he said.

(IANS)

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