CBSE instructs all affiliated schools to install CCTV cameras at key points to ensure student safety

All schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are required to install CCTV cameras at crucial points across the school to ensure safety of their students, the board has stated.

CBSE secretary Himanshu Gupta in a public circular said that the board has updated its affiliation bye-laws 2018 to include this new provision. The new provision mandates the installation of high-resolution CCTV cameras with audio-visual recording capabilities. These need to be installed across all key areas of school campuses. Key areas include entry and exit points, lobbies, corridors, staircases, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, canteen areas, store rooms, playgrounds, and other common areas. Toilets and washrooms have been exempted from installing CCTVs.

This amendment has been made under chapter 4 of the bye-laws which deals with physical infrastructure requirements for affiliated schools.

‘Retain footages’

“The cameras must be capable of real-time recording and should be connected to storage systems that retain footage for a minimum period of 15 days. Schools are also expected to maintain backups for this duration, which must be made available to authorities as and when required,” the CBSE circular states. 

CBSE has referred to the manual on safety and security of children of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), which defines “school safety” as creating a safe environment for children starting from home to school and back. This includes safety from any kind of abuse, psycho social issues violence, disasters, accidents, fire and so on. “Bullying can cause victimised students to suffer from low self-esteem and daily stress about their well-being,” NCPCR states. 

NCPCR’s manual further states that “CCTVs in schools need to be monitored and maintained regularly,” for safety from scrupulous unsocietal elements and safety for the overall well-being of children from bullying and other implicit threats.

The CBSE’s latest amendment of bye-laws to install CCTVs has formalised this recommendation by making it a mandatory condition for affiliation.