New Delhi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has amended affiliation norms to mandate schools to install CCTV cameras with real-time audio-visual recording at all places other than toilets, an official said on Monday.
“Safety of students is one of the paramount responsibilities of a school and ensures that the students get a safe and cohesive eco-system in the school. Safety has two aspects- (a) safety from scrupulous, anti-social elements (b) safety for the overall well-being of the children with reference to bullying and other implicit threats.
“All of such probabilities can be prevented with a vigilant and sensitive staff and with the usage of the latest technology,” CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta said.
To ensure the safety of students in the school premises, the board has made an amendment in Chapter 4 (Physical Infrastructure) of Affiliation Bye Laws-2018 by incorporating a clause about CCTV installation.
“The school should install high resolution CCTV Cameras with audio visual facility at all the entry and exit points of the school, lobbies, corridors, Staircases, all the classrooms, labs, library, canteen area, store room, playground and other common areas except toilets and washrooms with real time audiovisual recording.
“These CCTV Cameras must be equipped with a storage device with the capacity of holding footage of at-least 15 days. It shall be ensured that a backup of a minimum 15 days be preserved, which may be accessed by the authorities, if required,” Gupta added.
As per the Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools, NCPCR, “School Safety” has been defined as creating a safe environment for children, starting from their homes to their schools and back.
“This includes safety from any kind of abuse, violence, psycho-social issue, disaster: natural and man-made, fire, transportation. Emotional safety is especially important because it is often difficult for teachers and parents to detect emotional problems and difficulties in children.
“Bullying can cause victimized students to suffer from lower self-esteem and daily stress about their well-being,” Gupta said.
