Soon, city school buses will have stickers carrying an email id where students and parents can send in their complaints, anonymously if they want.

City schools are setting up mechanisms to deal with sexual harassment on campus, in school buses and on trips. At a public workshop on Friday, where more than 150 school bus drivers and attendants were educated about safety guidelines, the School Bus Owners’ Association (SBOA) also announced an email account (buscomplaint@gmail.com) as a complaint redressal mechanism, which it will publicise on school buses.

"We will create a website that will share information on guidelines and policies, and will also let parents and students lodge complaints or grievances regarding sexual harassment,” said Anil Garg, president of the association. 

Starting next month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s gender resource centre will put up posters in municipal schools to create awareness about safety and to instruct students to approach the official complaint committee in case of any trouble. “The complaint committee has been there for a long time, but we decided to create awareness given the recent cases of gender-based violence in society," said member secretary Kamaxi Bhate.

The Parents Teachers’ Association United Forum is starting a helpline for students from the next academic year. “By June, the helpline will be functional and students can call to report cases," said president Arundhati Chavan.

Counselling sessions are being held to create awareness on gender issues. On January 25, psychologist Tushar Guha will hold a session with parents and students of Kapol Vidyandhi School, Kandivli. “This is the first time parents will be part of a session. They,too need to know children's safety needs,” said principal Reshma Hegde.