Delhi girl raped: Security lapses in civic schools were flagged in 2019

Four years on, the now unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is yet to address this concern, and has in the past cited a lack of funds or unavailability of sanctioned posts for guards as the reason behind the lack of security measures at their schools

In May 2019, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) had highlighted that the Capital’s corporation-run schools do not have guards, and had issued a show cause notice to the three erstwhile civic bodies, calling the lack of security guards “a matter of serious concern”.

This lacklustre approach to school security was brought into sharp focus on Thursday, when Delhi Police announced that it had arrested a peon for the rape of a 10-year-old girl in east Delhi’s Gharoli. (Representative image)

Four years on, the now unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is yet to address this concern, and has in the past cited a lack of funds or unavailability of sanctioned posts for guards as the reason behind the lack of security measures at their schools. While the civic body operates 1,535 primary schools at 1,185 locations where 874,000 children are enrolled, none of these schools have a provision for security guards, and two out of three primary schools lack CCTV cameras.

This lacklustre approach to school security was brought into sharp focus on Thursday, when Delhi Police announced that it had arrested a peon for the rape of a 10-year-old girl in east Delhi’s Gharoli. On March 14, the accused had lured out the minor from her MCD school to a nearby secluded place, where she was gang raped by the peon and three others.

DCPCR chairperson Anurag Kundu said there are clearly systemic issues in MCD schools. “We have issued a notice to the education department in the matter, and have sought a report from police and MCD,” he said.

Ramniwas Solanki, who heads the Nagar Nigam Shikshak Sangh, a union of corporation teachers, said they have been demanding that security guards be deputised at schools, but their requests have been ignored. “The security of children in schools should be the first priority of the administration. There have been so many incidents over the past years, but no concrete step has been taken by the corporation to appoint permanent guards at our schools or install cameras,” Solanki said.

Mayor Shelly Oberoi did not comment on the matter. An MCD spokesperson said that a proposal for CCTV cameras and security guards at corporation schools is ready and will be put up before the House.

To be sure, with the MCD’s first House meeting still not complete, and with the matter sub judice, there is no clarity over when the next meeting will take place.

Vibha Singh, the principal of a municipal school and senior vice-president of the Municipal Teachers’ Association, said around four years ago, guard rooms were constructed in schools, but they are yet to be staffed. “After every such incident, there is a lot of hue and cry, but no institutional changes are made. We are short-staffed and I am forced to sit near the gate of the schools as I cannot depute any over-burdened teachers to guard the gates as well,” she said.

Educationist Meeta Sengupta said while CCTV surveillance in MCD schools can help prevent such incidents, schools can also introduce the buddy system, wherein children are taught to keep track of each other. “A practice that is being adopted in a lot of schools is where children are asked to be in groups of three, and if any of the three is missing for more than five minutes, then the other two inform a teacher,” she said.