School Education Dept. told to ensure forming of Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees
The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by G. Shabna of Theni district, who sought a direction to the department to ensure constitution of the Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees in government schools, create awareness of the committees among the students and ensure teaching and non-teaching staff complete an annual mandatory orientation programme on the POCSO Act.
The counsel for the petitioner submitted that a G.O. was issued by the School Education Department in 2021 providing guidelines to protect and safeguard the students from sexual harassment. The Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees are to be constituted to create awareness among the students.
The State submitted that in Coimbatore, Dharmapuri, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Mayiladuthurai, Theni, Tiruppatur, Tiruppur and Sivaganga districts, 11,820 government schools had reconstituted the committees. In 2023-24, these schools conducted 42,126 meetings and in 2024-25, 42,194 meetings were conducted.
Annual orientation training on the POCSO Act awareness to the teachers and the staff members was conducted in 11,820 government schools in 2023-24, in which 68,245 teachers and 46,281 staff members participated. A total of 70,105 teachers and 49,974 staff members were given training in 2024-25, the State submitted and sought time to compile the data for the remaining districts.
A Division Bench of Justices S.M. Subramaniam and A.D. Maria Clete observed that the Student Safeguarding Advisory Committees had been constituted in several areas, but yet to be constituted in some areas across the State. The court directed the authorities to collect the data in respect of the districts where the committees had not been constituted and initiate action to constitute them as per the G.O. in eight weeks. It posted the matter for reporting compliance to August 5.
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