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Provide status report on setting up panels to safeguard students: Madras HC to TN govt
A bench consisting of justices J Nisha Banu and S Srimathy from the Madurai bench of the high court issued the directive following a PIL filed by Advocate G Shabna from Theni district
In response to the recent rise in sexual abuse cases reported in educational institutions across Tamil Nadu, the Madras high court has ordered the state government to provide a status report on the establishment of “Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees” in all government schools.
A bench consisting of justices J Nisha Banu and S Srimathy from the Madurai bench of the high court issued the directive following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate G Shabna from Theni district.
Shabna highlighted that the state education department issued a government order on June 17, 2021, introducing guidelines to protect students from sexual harassment. The guidelines were introduced in response to numerous allegations of sexual harassment, abuse, and misconduct levelled against faculty members in various schools across the state.
“However, these measures have largely remained on paper,” she said, referencing several violations reported across the state in the last two months. One of the key measures mandated by the order was the formation of the “Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees” in all schools.
These committees should comprise the school principal, two teachers, two parents, a management representative, non-teaching staff, and an external member. Shabna said that the principal should be a permanent member, and half of the committee members must be replaced annually.
In cases of sexual abuse against students in schools, the committee is required to immediately report the incident to the state-level central complaint centre established by the school education department. However, Shabna alleged that these advisory committees are mostly non-functional and not regularly reconstituted.
