Schools get more time to implement guidelines

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday gave a breather to the government and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) schools by extending the deadline to implement safety guidelines by two months.

But the private schools were told to implement them within a month. Hearing a petition by some of the private schools challenging the guidelines issued by the Commissioner of Police, Justice A N Venugopalagowda orally directed the government to suspend the grant-in-aid of a school if it fails to implement the guidelines and release the fund only after guidelines were implemented. “The nodal officer is directed to make note of all suggestions and oral directions made by the court and ensure the implementation of the same,” he said.

The court directed the police not to file a charge sheet in the cases registered against the schools following a submission made by the private schools that they are willing to implement the guidelines by the end of October 2014.

The deputy commissioner (education), BBMP, submitted that the guidelines will be implemented in the schools within two months for which Justice Venugopalagowda said the commissioner of police can take necessary steps or appoint a nodal officer to supervise the implementation of the guidelines in a phased manner.

“The police are requested to adopt a handshake policy with school managements. There must be regular meetings for phase-wise implementation of the guidelines,” the court observed.

When the commissioner of public instruction sought two months to implement the guidelines, including installation of CCTVs in the government schools, the court directed the government to implement the rules, by November.