Nearly two weeks after a six-year-old girl was brutally assaulted with a brick by an eight-year-old boy at a government school in Panchkula, the Haryana Human Rights Commission took a serious view of the incident and recommended a comprehensive, time-bound review of safety arrangements in all schools across the state.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the incident that took place on October 28 had shown the boy hitting the girl’s head against a desk, kicking her and then repeatedly hurling a brick on her, leaving her bleeding on the floor of the classroom.
In its November 13 order, the commission said the matter raised serious concerns regarding the safety and protection of children in educational institutions.
The commission recommended a comprehensive safety audit, including an assessment of teacher deployment, classroom arrangements, closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) surveillance, infrastructure, counselling facilities, emergency medical response and the functioning of school safety committees. It also called for deadlines to rectify deficiencies identified during the audits, along with a consolidated compliance report detailing corrective measures, responsible authorities and implementation timelines.
What school safety norms say
{{/usCountry}}What school safety norms say
{{/usCountry}}Referring to the Haryana School Safety Regulations, 2017, the commission said classrooms must remain open and doors should not be locked under any circumstances. It also called for adequate CCTV coverage of corridors, staircases and classroom entrances, regular monitoring of recordings and preservation of footage.
In terms of preventive mechanisms, the commission stressed the need to sensitise teachers to signs of bullying, aggression and emotional distress.
Observations regarding October 28 incident
The commission flagged the reported shortage of teaching staff at the school, due to which students of Classes 1, 2 and 3 were accommodated in a common classroom. It said the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 did not mean children could be left unsupervised or different classes could automatically be combined in one classroom.
It also raised concerns over the alleged movement of the girl to another classroom without detection, the absence of timely intervention during the assault and the reported delay of nearly two hours in discovering the injured child.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged locking of the classroom and the time taken to arrange medical assistance also required examination, the commission said.
The panel clarified that its observations were prima facie based on newspaper reports and that no final finding had been recorded regarding the guilt of the child allegedly involved or the negligence or culpability of any school official.
Seeking detailed factual reports, it directed the principal secretary, school education department, to submit information on staffing, classroom arrangements, CCTV footage, duty rosters, safety committee records and departmental action. Reports have also been sought from the Panchkula police commissioner, deputy commissioner, PGIMER director, director general of health services and Panchkula civil surgeon.
It directed that the identities and personal particulars of both children be kept strictly confidential. The matter has been adjourned to January 28.