Kids are unsafe in public spaces or anywhere else, but certainly not in schools is what every parent always thought.
But with increasing crimes against children, ranging from murder to rape, every parent is feeling more helpless than ever.
As parents, we definitely need to take better measures, but the school management & teachers can’t shed off the responsibility of keeping our kids safe.
When schools, rather than taking more accountability to save our kids, take measures to save themselves against any scrutiny. It is bound to make any parent angry.
While many of us still mourning the murder of 12-YO at school, the school in Chandigarh has adopted a shameful act.
They have forced parents to sign indemnity bonds to stop any interaction with media in case of school malpractice.
As per Tribune, after Mount Carmel School, Sector 47, another school – Ryan International School – has sought indemnity bonds from parents to assert no interaction with the media.
Ryan International School has sought an undertaking from parents that read,
“The school encourages parents/students to report their problems and grievances to the school management so that the same can be looked into and handled appropriately.
The school does not approve the practice of the parents/students indulging in any anti-school activity or involving any third party or giving information to press/TV, etc, in the matters concerning the school and students.
In case, a parent/student indulges in such acts, the school shall be at liberty to take appropriate action, which may include striking off the name of the student from the school rolls.”
We want to build awareness among parents that seeking these indemnity bonds is an unlawful practice.
So, in case you have been approached by your kid’s school to sign them, please don’t.
The Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights has sought an explanation from the school since forcing parents to sign such indemnity bonds is an unlawful practice.
The commission has asked the school under which provision it is seeking and forcing parents to sign an undertaking.
Parents also confirmed that the school sought an undertaking. The Chandigarh Parents’ Association (CPA) has submitted a similar complaint to the CCPCR and District Education Officer (DEO).
Though no response has been received from Ryan International School, Mount Carmel has shared the following response:
“We are not accepting any undertaking from parents.”
The authorities rolled back the decision soon after the CPA filed a complaint against the school. In a circular issued by the school, it was stated:
“Filling Page 37 in the diary is not mandatory. The page has an undertaking for parents stating that they will not interact with press/TV for grievances.”
As per TOI, Nitin Goyal of the Chandigarh Parents’ Association, said,
“It is strange the way the wordings of these undertaking match. May be more schools have also got these printed in the diary.
Authorities must direct schools to stop the practice.
Mount Caramel School in its reply saved itself but we will write back to CCPCR giving all the proofs”
If Ryan Internation sounds familiar to you, then Pradyuman Thakur case might be the reason.
As per Wikipedia, Pradyuman Thakur was a student at Ryan International School, who was found murdered inside the ground floor washroom under mysterious circumstances in 2017 in Gurgaon. His death was controversial, as it appeared that the murder happened to hide another unknown crime.
Recently, multiple cases came to light, when the schools either made attempts to hide the crime or delayed the investigation. The helpless parents were left with no other choice but to take Media support to seek justice for their kids.
