New Delhi, July 20: The Delhi government has issued a show cause notice to the management of a private school located in Janakpuri. This action is in response to serious safety violations, illegal branch operations, and significant financial irregularities.
An official reported that Education Minister Ashish Sood has directed the Directorate of Education to take the strictest possible action against the trust managing the school and its leadership.
The school has been given seven days to submit a response. If no response is received, immediate action will be initiated.
Ashish Sood emphasized that the Delhi government will not tolerate any compromise on the safety and dignity of children. He stated, “A school acts in loco parentis (in the role of a parent). It has legal and moral responsibilities for every child on its premises. If any institution conceals serious crimes like child abuse, operates illegal branches in the basements of residential buildings, and misuses public funds, we will not remain silent.”
He also mentioned that the government is prepared to take full control of the school’s management and recommend the cancellation of its land lease.
An official investigation conducted in multiple phases by special committees of the Directorate of Education revealed serious negligence in administrative, financial, and ethical responsibilities within the school.
The statement indicated that there were attempts to conceal incidents of sexual harassment. Reports suggest that on April 30, a nursery student in the school’s pre-primary wing was allegedly sexually assaulted.
The investigation revealed that the school management failed to inform the Directorate of Education about this serious incident, violating mandatory child safety laws.
Additionally, the investigation found flaws in the security arrangements. When police arrived to investigate the pre-primary branch, they discovered that all 64 CCTV cameras were completely non-functional. The statement noted that the school had deliberately not contracted for the maintenance of these cameras.
According to the investigation report, the school was illegally conducting nursery and kindergarten classes from a private residential building in Narang Colony without permission.
Moreover, the basement of this unauthorized building was being used as an unsupervised activity area for young children.
The statement also highlighted that the school lacked a child protection policy, a child protection committee, and a POCSO-trained nodal officer. Furthermore, mandatory police verification of security personnel had not been conducted.
Leave a Comment