Dimapur: Given the information that children have been abducted from Nagaland, the state school education department has asked all schools, both government and private, in the state to take precautionary measures.
In a notification, the principal of the school education department director Thavaseelan K said schools should make one teacher in charge of one section/class to control access of unknown persons to students and to check the authenticity of every person who meets students in schools.
Attendance during the first period must be checked by all teachers of the subjects during the subsequent period.
If any student is found bunking classes, school authorities/teachers should confirm from parents whether the students are absent in actual or missing.
While schools have been asked to create regular awareness among students, teachers, and parents in coordination with the Police department, DoSE also said that students should be given awareness about preventing the case of kidnappings via movie clips/plays/paintings, other competitions/awareness campaigns, etc.
The assistance of the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) may be taken to impart awareness to students, parents, teachers, and the public, it added. Students should be taught to rush and take help from nearby authorities like drivers on buses, principals/teachers in schools, parents, nearby Churches on roads, TTE in Trains, etc.
While recommending techniques such as shouting aloud for assistance if suspicious people approach the child in public.
He recommended teaching basic self-defense at all schools. Situations where self-defense must be used and where resistance is required should also be taught.
To conduct a mock drill to teach SOP in case a child kidnapping case is reported with different scenarios– like kidnapping at the railway station, bus, or school, etc. Techniques like a child shouting loud, “Help Help Help” if anyone suspicious approaches the child in public can be taught in mock drills.
Children may be taught indirect signals that a child can use to communicate with nearby people to save one the dangerous persons.
Further, students should learn to remember at least two emergency telephone numbers and two addresses (parents or preferred teacher) to use in an emergency, it said.
The department also directed the schools to immediately inform the police if any case is reported. Child Helpline 1098 should be used immediately when any case of child kidnapping is reported, it added.
It further asked schools to place helpline numbers of local police stations/control rooms in classrooms and prominent places within the school premises.
Parents were also advised to avoid uploading pictures of children to social media, as antisocial elements track their activities such as school time, time spent on sports, etc., and plan the abduction accordingly.
The Identity of “owners of shops close to schools should be checked by the school authorities and the police/district administration should be informed in case of suspicion.
It also asked schools to Install CCTVs inside schools and outside school gates.
