Education

After the huge, city-wide wave of protests that we saw in the wake of the rape of a six-year-old schoolgirl, we now have a set of ‘guidelines’ issued by the city police on July 26, for ensuring safety of students. Read through the details, and you find the kind of chicanery and lack of genuine regard for equity that marks most of the official responses to social problems. The report says that while the guidelines have been mandated for private schools with a deadline of August 31. “The police may not insist on government schools to implement the guidelines as…

Children from government school in Kaikondrahalli walking back home. Pic: Shree D N The anger of not just parents in Bengaluru, but that of all adults concerned with the safety of children plays out through media and talk shows, through demonstrations and protest walks. As outraged parents and civil society groups meet government officials and senior police officers, school administrators and lawyers, there is deep satisfaction that everybody is taking this incident with the seriousness it deserves. The parents have put forth a 40-point charter for child safety standards which they want schools to follow. It includes trained security staff, CCTVs…

In April 2014, a young boy from Noble Saint English School, Kadugondana Halli in Bengaluru, appeared for his SSLC exam. This was his third attempt at the clearing his 10th standard exams. When the results were announced two months later, he had cleared all papers but one - Mathematics. Young Fayaz at his home, with his Mathematics text book. Pic: Ganga Madappa The young boy is Fayaz and he is a quadriparetic. Quadriparesis, the condition that Fayaz is inflicted with, refers to muscle weakness affecting all four limbs. Due to his condition, Fayaz cannot lift his hands or walk. The…

  Going by media reports, it appears as if there is a sudden spurt of crime against women and children, in the garden city known for peace. However, according to the data, it shows that the crime against women and children always existed, in all parts of the state and the country. It is not true that Vibgyor is the only school that such a ghastly incident took place. There are other schools in which such incidents happened, but escaped media limelight. The bottomline is, crime against children in the city always existed, to which we as a society chose…

M N Reddi addressin the media. Pic: Nikita Malusare Vibgyor High school chairman Rustum Kerawalla has been arrested on Tuesday evening, July 22, 2014, by the Bangalore city Police in Daman in connection with the rape case, and will be brought to Bangalore. Bangalore Police Commissioner M N Reddi announced this in a press conference held at the Police Commissioner’s office on Infantry Road on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. Rustum Kerawalla was produced in front of second additional sessions court, Bangalore Rural, and was released on bail, on the condiction that he should present himself in Varthur police station once…

Many a times, schools and parents do not know how to deal with Child Sexual Abuse (CSA). The result is delayed complaints / no complaints, destruction of concrete evidence unknowingly, not caring for the identity and dignity of the child enough, insensitive media coverage etc., which come in the way of delivering justice and to the traumatised child and family and getting their life back on track. National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS) has prepared an advisory which has many important points to be taken care of by everyone. Need for a child-centric response to CSA The continual…

Home Minister K J George said in State assembly here in Bengaluru that Vibgyor school was at fault for not reporting the case to Police, and there will be an FIR filed against the school management for defaming the child. Replying to the criticism raised by JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, K J George said that the school did not take ample care even when more than 4,000 children were studying there. He added that the child did not have any special needs, hence the school tried to defame the child. In his meeting with parents of Vibgyor students, he…

There are no gates and watchmen in most of the government schools in the city. Pic: Nikita Malusare What is the difference between Vibgyor High school and any government school? Aren't the officials supposed to check and ensure safety in government schools? Not long ago, in February 2014, a man attempted to rape an 11-year-old schoolgirl from a government primary school somewhere in Bengaluru. The girl had gone to attend nature's call at 12.30 pm in the open when the man pulled her aside. The girl shouted for help and the assailant escaped from the spot. The girl was luckier…

Raghavendra H Auradkar addressing the press on July 20, 2014. Pic: Nikita Malusare “This guy arrested today for the horrific [alleged] rape of the six year old has taught hundreds of kids in this area according to the word around these parts. He used to come to our apartment and teach kids two days a week or so!” wrote Whitefield area resident and civic activist Sanjay Vijayaraghavan on Facebook on Sunday night. Shobha Belakerappa, an IT professional, had similar emotions: “My son was being coached by the same instructor as part of regular SPA activity, as well as summer camp…

Heroes are those who rise when they fall, choose to fight back a wrong or injustice instead of accepting it. When the Vibgyor High school in Marathahalli, Bengaluru, ran into controversy because of the alleged rape of a student, the way the parents of the school children were united in their fight against the inefficient system that could not protect a child is an example to follow. They made use of online groups to unite together for the cause and bring home one single point - no more threat to security of kids. They framed a set of questions and…