The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court recently issued several directions to the Government of Tamil Nadu for effective implementation of the policies and laws framed against sexual offenses in schools across the State.
Importantly, the court suggested that an anti-sexual-harassment policy may also be drawn up by schools and a copy of which should be distributed to students and teachers.
A division bench of Justice R Mahadevan and Justice J Satya Narayan Prasad ordered that the school education The department, in coordination with the State Child Protection Commission, will ensure that an Internal Complaints Committee is constituted as required under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.
The court directed that the department shall also ensure that every school has a reporting and redressal mechanism and the students are aware of the same.
It also said that sexual abuse is an assault on the very dignity and personhood of a child, which leaves a permanent scar on the children which hinders their overall development.
Keeping this in view, the court ordered that a nodal body shall be constituted with representatives from the State Child Protection Commission and the Department of School Education to coordinate and monitor government-led awareness and sensitization programs in schools on sexual abuse; and monitoring the operation of mobile counseling centres.
On the basis of reports published in newspapers about the arrest of a school teacher for teaching indecent manner, social activist A.K. The directions were issued in a writ petition filed by Veronica Mary. Fed up with the sexual harassment, a girl student had attempted suicide.
Mary had sought issuance of injunction directing the respondent authorities to ensure proper functioning of mobile counseling centers to prevent sexual offenses against students in government, government-aided and private schools.
Mary had relied upon a government order dated May 17, 2012, issued by the Department of School Education, which was passed to set up mobile counseling centres, to provide counseling services to students through a professional counselor or an assistant, students was passed to sensitize and train them. teachers, aimed at solving problems related to sexual harassment in schools.
Mary had alleged that such mobile counseling centers were not working effectively in any district.
The court directed the respondents to consider the representation made by Mary in September this year to take steps to ensure the functioning of the mobile counseling centers and take immediate action.
It ordered that mobile counseling services, if not working properly, should be made operational immediately.
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