The government said it would also issue departmental orders for ensuring the safety of schoolchildren and create an effective complaint redressal mechanism.

T.N. govt. to take a call on verifying criminal antecedents before appointing schoolteachers

It also assures Madras High Court of putting in place an effective complaint redressal mechanism in the interest of school students

by · The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that it shall take a decision on the issue of verifying the criminal antecedents of those being appointed as schoolteachers and place the necessary proceedings before the court by November 20.

Appearing before the second Division Bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and P.B. Balaji, Advocate General P.S. Raman said, the government would also issue departmental orders for ensuring the safety of schoolchildren and create an effective complaint redressal mechanism.

The A-G said that complaint boxes with helpline numbers would be installed in all government, government aided and other private schools besides constituting district level monitoring committees to supervise the implementation of the safety measures.

The court was told that complaints related to sexual harassment, sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and such other issues would be addressed immediately by the officials of the school education department with utmost care and urgency.

The submissions were made during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocate A.P. Suryaprakasam regarding many schoolchildren having been abused sexually by conduct of fake National Cadet Corps (NCC) camps in a few private schools in Krishnagiri district.

During the hearing of the case, the litigant told the court that complaints of schoolchildren being abused by the teachers too had increased and therefore, it would be better if the government conducts a check regarding the criminal background of those being appointed as schoolteachers.

Accepting his suggestion, the judges said the procedure of verifying criminal antecedents, as was being followed at present for the recruitment of judicial officers and police personnel, could be implemented with respect to appointment of schoolteachers too.

Published - November 13, 2024 06:15 pm IST