New guidelines for schools, colleges: Take attendance thrice a day, inform parents if student bunks

The Maharashtra School Education department on Saturday issued new guidelines for schools and junior colleges, mandating certain safety measures in the interest of students.

The guidelines, which will come into effect from the coming academic year, will apply to state board schools as well as those affiliated to CBSE, ICSE, and international boards.

According to the circular issued by the department, every school and junior college will need to install CCTV cameras on their premises.

It also mandates that attendance should be marked thrice a day, and if a student is found missing, parents should be informed immediately through a text message.

Further, no student should be punished in such a way that he or she would suffer a mental or physical trauma, the circular said.

The guidelines also restrict entry of unidentified persons on the school premises.

It also makes it compulsory for the administration to obtain a character certificate from the police for recruitment as teachers or other staff at educational institutions.

Washrooms for boys and girls should be separate and at a suitable distance from each other, and there should be a woman attendant at the girls’ washroom, the guidelines say.

The woman attendant on school bus should not leave the bus until the last girl is dropped, it added.

Education minister Vinod Tawde said while the state government can not interfere in the curriculum of international boards, students’ safety comes under the state’s purview.

“Students are from Maharashtra, so all these schools should also follow these norms. If any school fails, the education department will lodge a police case,” he said.

With agency inputs