School heads to be sensitised on child protection

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, December 23

The Department of Education has come up with a special training programme for heads of government school, Assistant Block Resource Coordinators (ABRCs) and Block Resource Persons (BRPs) across the state in connection with the Child Protection Act. The programme will be organised in collaboration with the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department.

The move comes days after sexual harassment cases were reported in Jind and Kaithal schools.

Under the first phase, the ABRCs/BRPs will be imparted training for two days at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) concerned, while the day-long programme for principals/heads of government school would be organised at the block level under the second phase.

The DIET faculty and WCD officials will first train the ABRCs and BRPs, who will later carry out the programme at the block level. The presence of Block Education Officers will be mandatory during the training of school heads.

“This is for the first time that the school heads, ABRCs/ BRPs will be imparted special training regarding the Child Protection Act. Usually, selective teachers from all schools are called to the DIET concerned once during an academic session for a sensitisation programme on child protection,” said an official of the Education Department on anonymity.

He said during the training, the participants would be made aware about the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), and special steps to be taken to check such incidents in schools.

A school head said 1,493 ABRCs/BRPs would be trained from December 26 to 29 and the training programme for school heads would be organised from January 1 to 6 in different batches. “The Director (Women and Child Development) has been urged to provide master trainers for the purpose,” he added.

Training in Batches from Dec 26

A school head said 1,493 Assistant Block Resource Coordinators/ Block Resource Persons would be trained from December 26 to 29 and the training programme for school heads would be organised from January 1 to 6 in batches.