Safety gap report should be prepared after visiting schools, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said. Addressing a press conference here on Friday after convening a meeting of education officials earlier in the afternoon, the Minister said it was decided to implement important decisions regarding school safety.
A check-list would be prepared on the basis of a circular on school reopening arrangements issued by the Director of General Education on May 13. School inspections would be held by assistant education officers, district education officers, and through block resource centres by July 29 and safety gap reports prepared. Deputy Directors of Education (DDEs) would direct officials on the steps to be taken at the district-level. A report on this should be compiled and submitted to District Collectors.
All DDEs should submit a letter to District Collectors to make school safety a permanent agenda in district development committee meetings. The Director of General Education (DGE) too would write to the Collectors.
Seven teams would visit schools in each district and submit a report within three weeks. If need be, DDEs can deploy more teams.
A page on school safety would be launched on Sampoorna Plus. It would contain the check-list. School principals or head teachers should make a detailed entry after the safety audit.
A safety cell would be formed under the DGE. It would register a WhatsApp number where people could send complaints or information. This number would be made public. Students, teachers, parent-teacher association, and others could inform this number about any school safety issues.
A meeting would be held on Sunday to review the safety steps currently being taken.
A meeting of the General Education Secretary, Collectors, and district panchayat secretaries would be held on August 7, Mr. Sivankutty said.
Published – July 25, 2025 10:55 pm IST
