Nurseries Far From ‘Safe’ For Children
By Rashmi Singhvi
• In 2014, a Bengaluru-based private school came in the news when a nursery student was sexually abused by the office assistant.
• A four-year-old boy was headed in a human sacrifice ritual in Andhra Pradesh in October 2015. The boy was kidnapped as he was returning home from nursery.
• In November 2015, a three-year-old nursery student was crushed to death in the school elevator at Dilsukhnagar in Andhra Pradesh.
• In another shocking incident in November 2017, a four-year-old boy was booked for raping his classmate in a private school in Delhi.
• The Greater Noida police arrested the lifeguard at the swimming pool of a reputed private school in July 2018 as he raped a three-year-old girl at the school premises. The lifeguard was working at the school for 13 years.
• A seven-year-old boy in Bengaluru was run over by his own school bus in June 2019 while trying to cross the road to reach his day care centre.
• In August 2019 in Delhi, a private school sweeper was arrested for sexually assaulting a five-year-old nursery girl at multiple occasions.
• In February 2020, a school van caught fire in Sangrur, burning four children alive. The risks of mishaps are higher with vehicles that do not comply with norms especially in smaller schools in residential areas.
• Most recently, in March 2020 in Fatehgarh Sahib, about 20 children of the Akal Academy escaped with minor injuries after their school bus hit an electricity pole and overturned in a field.
• The one incident that shook the nation and raised a big question on safety of children in schools was the murder of a seven-year-old boy from Ryan International School in Gurgaon who was killed by a senior in the school washroom in 2017.
Crime of these nature sent shockwaves across the country especially because such a brutal and serious offence happened even in schools of international repute apparently ‘regulated by statutory guidelines.’ The risks posed to children in pre-primary education centres are much higher as there are higher chances of irregularities in the absence of a regulatory framework.Children’s safety and wellbeing has been compromised in several instances.
Everyday, fresh cases emerge to demonstrate the vulnerability of children in schools. According to NCPCR, a school is a place where children ‘feel safe, secure on the premises with the care providers; sense of security is instilled when action is taken against misconduct or abuse such as corporal punishment, discriminatory practices, bullying and other forms of verbal, emotional or sexual abuse, by teachers, other personnel or other students.
Apart from sexual abuse, children face physical harm due to accidents and mishaps that cause physical injuries. Also, physical and psychological harm, mental harassment and discrimination are widespread in schools due to corporal punishment, bullying, assault, harassment, etc.
• In 2014, a Bengaluru-based private school came in the news when a nursery student was sexually abused by the office assistant.
• A four-year-old boy was headed in a human sacrifice ritual in Andhra Pradesh in October 2015. The boy was kidnapped as he was returning home from nursery.
• In November 2015, a three-year-old nursery student was crushed to death in the school elevator at Dilsukhnagar in Andhra Pradesh.
• In another shocking incident in November 2017, a four-year-old boy was booked for raping his classmate in a private school in Delhi.
• The Greater Noida police arrested the lifeguard at the swimming pool of a reputed private school in July 2018 as he raped a three-year-old girl at the school premises. The lifeguard was working at the school for 13 years.
• A seven-year-old boy in Bengaluru was run over by his own school bus in June 2019 while trying to cross the road to reach his day care centre.
• In August 2019 in Delhi, a private school sweeper was arrested for sexually assaulting a five-year-old nursery girl at multiple occasions.
• In February 2020, a school van caught fire in Sangrur, burning four children alive. The risks of mishaps are higher with vehicles that do not comply with norms especially in smaller schools in residential areas.
• Most recently, in March 2020 in Fatehgarh Sahib, about 20 children of the Akal Academy escaped with minor injuries after their school bus hit an electricity pole and overturned in a field.
• The one incident that shook the nation and raised a big question on safety of children in schools was the murder of a seven-year-old boy from Ryan International School in Gurgaon who was killed by a senior in the school washroom in 2017.
Crime of these nature sent shockwaves across the country especially because such a brutal and serious offence happened even in schools of international repute apparently ‘regulated by statutory guidelines.’ The risks posed to children in pre-primary education centres are much higher as there are higher chances of irregularities in the absence of a regulatory framework.Children’s safety and wellbeing has been compromised in several instances.
Everyday, fresh cases emerge to demonstrate the vulnerability of children in schools. According to NCPCR, a school is a place where children ‘feel safe, secure on the premises with the care providers; sense of security is instilled when action is taken against misconduct or abuse such as corporal punishment, discriminatory practices, bullying and other forms of verbal, emotional or sexual abuse, by teachers, other personnel or other students.
Apart from sexual abuse, children face physical harm due to accidents and mishaps that cause physical injuries. Also, physical and psychological harm, mental harassment and discrimination are widespread in schools due to corporal punishment, bullying, assault, harassment, etc.
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