Guwahati: Schools across Assam have been asked to strengthen security, maintain better hygiene and ensure a safe academic environment following a set of fresh instructions issued by the state Education Department.
The department has issued five key directives covering school security, cleanliness, academic discipline and the protection of students’ privacy and safety. The new instructions are being implemented from September 30.
As part of the security measures, schools have been instructed to keep their main gates closed before the morning prayer begins. The department has also asked school authorities to regulate the entry of visitors and prevent outsiders from entering school campuses without prior permission.
School premises, including toilets, have also been brought under greater focus. Authorities have been directed to ensure that toilets are properly cleaned and that hygienic conditions are maintained throughout the campus.
The Education Department has further stressed the importance of maintaining an appropriate academic atmosphere within schools. School authorities have been asked to take necessary steps to ensure discipline and create a secure environment for both students and staff.
Another important instruction relates to the privacy of children. Schools have been told that photographs or videos of students should not be collected or taken without prior permission. The measure is intended to strengthen safeguards concerning students’ privacy and security.
The directives come shortly after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) began its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign to examine the condition of government schools and identify gaps in infrastructure and basic facilities.
During the campaign, CJP members visited several government schools, including institutions in the Palashbari and Dispur areas. A team led by party co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka raised concerns about infrastructure and facilities observed at some of the schools.
The party has stated that the campaign is aimed at drawing attention to shortcomings in government school infrastructure and encouraging improvements in basic facilities.
The school inspections also took place after Ranka and several CJP leaders and volunteers were detained by Assam Police in Guwahati ahead of a planned regional volunteers’ meeting. They were subsequently released.
The latest Education Department instructions place emphasis on school security, cleanliness, discipline and student privacy as schools across Assam continue to implement the new measures.
