Over 45% of Delhi schools deficient in child safety

New Delhi: An inspection of 1,677 Delhi schools over two weeks has revealed that 774 schools failed to follow official student safety and child protection rules, according to a statement issued by the LG’s office

New Delhi: An inspection of 1,677 Delhi schools over two weeks has revealed that 774 schools failed to follow official student safety and child protection rules, according to a statement issued by the LG’s office.

The key deficiencies included the non-constitution of child welfare committees and the absence of parent representatives on these committees. (Photo for representation)

“A total of 812 private schools were inspected and deficiencies were found in 463 schools. Government and government-aided schools also showed notable gaps. Of the 790 government schools, 270 were found with deficiencies. Similarly, 41 out of 75 government-aided schools were with deficiencies. Private schools were found to account for a disproportionately high share of deficiencies relative to the number inspected, an area that inspection teams continue to monitor closely,” the statement said.

The key deficiencies included the non-constitution of child welfare committees and the absence of parent representatives on these committees.

The inspection drive, underway since July 13, aims to identify schools that do not comply with student safety guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

Officials said the schools found deficient are flagged for immediate remedial steps, with follow-up verification built into the process to ensure genuine compliance rather than a one-time paper exercise.

The statement added that the drive will continue until all 5,633 schools in Delhi are covered.

The drive follows July 6 directions from lieutenant governor (LG) Taranjit Singh Sandhu and chief minister Rekha Gupta for strict and time-bound implementation of “Child Protection Month” initiatives.

Officials said the inspections are part of the broader compliance framework, covering government, government-aided, MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), and private schools across Delhi.

The inspections are being carried out over successive days by dedicated teams fanning out across the Capital, with the pace and scale of coverage steadily increasing as the drive progresses. In several days, over 150 to 200 schools have been covered in a single day.

Inspection teams comprising representatives of parents, the directorate of education (DoE), the women and child development department, Delhi Police, and heads of schools continue to carry out inspections across the Capital, with corrective action on identified deficiencies being pursued in a time-bound manner.