The government schools on Wednesday received the long-awaited security upgrade as the state government on Wednesday appointed 1,378 guards at institutions across the state.
Announcing the appointments during his visit to the city, Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains said the move was aimed at tackling the rampant thefts and security concerns within civic-run educational institutions.
In the Ludhiana district, a total of ₹66.15 lakh has been allocated to deploy guards at 189 government schools, including prominent institutions such as Government Model Senior Secondary Schools in Model Town, Cemetery Road, PAU, and Miller Ganj (Dholewal).
The move comes in the backdrop of rising theft incidents at government schools, which at this point have limited security measures.
Bains, while chairing an orientation programme for the newly-appointed security guards at the Government Meritorious School, highlighted the primary objectives of this initiative. He stressed that the security personnel would not only protect the students, but also ensure they remain within the school premises during school hours.
The minister said security guards will first be posted at all senior secondary schools with student strength exceeding 500. Their duties will include monitoring entry and exit points, maintaining visitor records and managing traffic outside schools to facilitate safe entry and exit for students.
This step is part of the state government’s larger plan to revamp the state’s education sector. Minister Bains revealed that an estimated ₹250 crore would be allocated to build an approximate 1,018-km of boundary walls for government schools across the state to further boost security.
{{/usCountry}}This step is part of the state government’s larger plan to revamp the state’s education sector. Minister Bains revealed that an estimated ₹250 crore would be allocated to build an approximate 1,018-km of boundary walls for government schools across the state to further boost security.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, the government will be appointing nearly 2,000 campus managers responsible for maintaining school infrastructure.
The minister said schools would now a;so receive funds for cleanliness tasks. The funds, ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹50,000 per month, will be disbursed according to student enrollment. Principals will utilise these funds to ensure that school buildings remain clean and hygienic.
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Sitting ducks
Government schools in the district had been facing a security crisis for long as valuable assets worth lakhs remained unguarded due to vacant positions and lack of funding. Multiple theft incidents have been reported in the past year, highlighting the loopholes in safety measures. Schools are resorting to makeshift solutions, such as pooling salaries or using funds from the Parents Teachers Association, to hire security personnel.
Burglars had made away with electronics,CCTV cameras, inverter batteries, mid-day meal rations from the Government Primary School, Chhahole, July this year. Meanwhile, Jassian village alone was hit by back-to-back burglaries — with miscreants first targeting the government middle school in September before stealing from the primary school in October last year.