Schools are failing to implement child safety guidelines, says SHRC amid attacks

The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday (November 9, 2026) said that many educational institutions are not following the set manual for the safety and protection of children.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has produced a handbook on safety and security of children in schools, which has remained only on paper. Although the government and courts have issued several guidelines on the safety of children, no action has been taken by schools or relevant authorities, she said.

The SHRC pointed out that the Director of School Education, Andhra Pradesh, had issued instructions in August 2025 directing Regional Joint Directors (RJDs) and District Education Officers (DEOs) to strengthen security and take steps to prevent unauthorized entry of unauthorized persons into schools without prior permission from the governing institutions. However, many schools have not implemented these guidelines. added.

These remarks come in the wake of the recent attack on two Class X students at Raptadu Zilla Parishad High School by a youth wielding an electric chainsaw in Anantapur district. The SHRC took suo motu notice of the incident based on a report published in The Hindu.

The tragic incident took place on October 31 due to the failure of the school management to implement government regulations as observed by the SHRC.

School management should install CCTV cameras, appoint watchmen, security guards (male and female), internal monitoring committees and discuss issues with staff and parents. “It was the duty of the principal of the school to strictly implement the safety and security guidelines, but prima facie it appeared that the principal of the Raptad school did not implement these guidelines,” the Commission said in its order.

Published – 9th November 2026 21:00 IST