Govt to take steps to curb bullying in schools

Ragging complaints received by any educational institution, their status and satisfaction level of the complainant’s parents will have to be reported to the HRD ministry on a monthly basis.

Acting on the report of a six-member government-appointed committee which conducted a psychological study of ragging in higher educational institutions and bullying in schools, the government will soon roll out an action plan to curb the menace in schools across the country.

The government is concerned at the number of cases of bullying in schools, especially residential schools in teh country. ((Representative Photo))

Bullying in schools will soon come under the Union human resource development (HRD) ministry’s watch. Concerned at the number of cases of bullying in schools, especially residential schools, the UGC will soon write to the school education department to look into the issue.

The decision was taken at a meeting, held under the HRD ministry’s higher education department secretary last month to review the measures taken so far to check the menace of ragging in higher educational institutions and bullying in schools.

“The UGC (university grants commission) has been directed to write to the school education department of the HRD ministry for implementation of the committee’s recommendations for putting a check on instances of bullying in schools,” said a senior official.

The panel which interviewed more than 1400 students of six school — four in Bengaluru and two in Delhi — noted in its report to the UGC in 2015 that almost 40 per cent students admitted to these schools had gone through “some kind of ragging,” 35.1 per cent faced “mild ragging” and 4.1 per cent students were subjected to “severe ragging.”

The committee headed by a faculty member of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) had recommended making schools more inclusive and promote diversity. It said that a significant proportion of the students (41%) reported that “a full range of aggressive behaviours” including social aggression and aggression on social media was “commonly seen” in the schools.

Study on bullying indicated “a continuum” commencing from the families to the schools and finding expression in ragging in colleges and higher educational institutions, the panel also stated in its report.

It was also decided that the ragging complaints received by any educational institution, their status and satisfaction level of the complainant’s parents will have to be reported to the HRD ministry on a monthly basis. The closure of any complaint and the reason behind it will also have to be reported.

“All the reported/resolved/active cases will have to be reported on monthly basis to HRD ministry. Closing of the ragging complaints, reasons for closure along with the satisfaction level of the student/parent/guardian will also have to be mentioned in the report,” a senior HRD official said.