All schools to face mandatory safety audit: Union Education Minister
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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Education has directed all States and Union Territories to conduct comprehensive safety audits of school buildings and identify dilapidated structures, in line with the Centre’s “Zero Tolerance Policy” against negligence, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told the House that the directive was issued on August 7, mandating structural safety audits of all school buildings. He said authorities have been advised to demolish or repair unsafe structures, prohibit their use until certified safe, and make necessary arrangements for temporary schooling wherever required. The ministry has also instructed that the space created due to demolition be used gainfully, with regular monitoring, reporting, and compliance certification of safety standards required before re-occupancy.
Responding to a question by Alok Kumar Suman, Pradhan said the Centre has instructed States and Union Territories to enforce these measures strictly to prevent injuries or loss of life caused by avoidable infrastructure failures.
The minister noted that the government had earlier issued multiple guidelines to ensure children’s safety in schools. Among these are the Guidelines on School Safety and Security by the Department of School Education and Literacy, released on October 1, 2021, and the Guidelines on School Safety Policy by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA, 2016), issued on February 27, 2017.
He further said that the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had compiled different safety guidelines and developed a detailed “Manual on Safety and Security of Children in Schools” on February 26, 2018. In addition, the National Disaster Management Guidelines on School Safety Policy provide for activities such as conducting safety audits, holding annual mock drills, installing fire extinguishers, training students and teachers in disaster preparedness, ensuring safe storage of inflammable and toxic material, and granting recognition certificates only to schools that comply with fire and structural safety norms.
Pradhan said these guidelines collectively aim to ensure the safety and security of children in schools while fixing accountability on stakeholders and relevant departments. They are designed to foster collaboration among authorities, raise awareness of safety policies, clarify responsibilities in implementation, assign accountability for child safety during school activities and transportation, and strictly enforce the Centre’s “Zero Tolerance Policy” against negligence.
With IANS inputs
