Panchkula: The alleged brutal assault on a six-year-old girl by her eight-year-old schoolmate inside an empty govt school classroom in Panchkula not only left the country shocked but also raised serious concerns about systemic failures. The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has underlined these systemic lapses and called for a comprehensive and time-bound safety audit of all schools across Haryana.The systemic failures flagged by the commission include flaws in teacher deployment, classroom supervision, CCTV monitoring, and emergency medical response. The Commission stressed that action against individual school staff alone would not address the larger issue of child safety.In its order dated Nov 13, the Commission also sought detailed reports from the school education department, Panchkula police commissioner, deputy commissioner, PGIMER Chandigarh, director general health services, Haryana, and civil surgeon, Panchkula, to establish the sequence of events and examine possible lapses.The Commission directed the state govt to formulate a consolidated action plan covering adequate teacher deployment, classroom supervision, CCTV monitoring, child counselling, emergency response, and functioning of school safety committees. The compliance report must specify deficiencies identified, corrective measures taken, responsible authorities, and timelines for implementation.Shortage of teachers, mixing of classesThe Commission observed that the reported shortage of teaching staff on Oct 28 resulted in children of Bal Vatika and classes I, II, and III being accommodated in a common classroom. It sought details of the sanctioned and working strength of teachers, student enrolment, and class-wise deployment on the day of the incident.It clarified that maintaining the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio of 30:1 under the Right to Education Act does not mean that children from different classes can be combined in one classroom or left without proper supervision.The order also flagged the alleged movement of the girl from the common classroom to an empty classroom on the first floor, where the assault reportedly took place. The Commission questioned how the child could be taken to another floor without being noticed by teachers or other staff members.Nearly two hours before injured child was foundAnother major concern highlighted by the Commission was the reported delay of nearly two hours in discovering the injured girl inside the classroom.It sought complete CCTV footage of the school, including corridors, staircases, and the first-floor classroom, along with details of camera coverage, operational status, and monitoring arrangements.The Commission also sought verification of the allegation that the classroom door had been bolted from outside and subsequently locked. It pointed out that the Haryana School Safety Regulations, 2017, specifically require classrooms to remain open and prohibit locking classroom doors.The circumstances surrounding the girl’s medical treatment were also flagged. The Commission sought details of the time taken to provide medical assistance and her shifting from a private hospital to Civil Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, and subsequently to PGIMER, Chandigarh. It asked the health authorities to examine allegations of delays in treatment and referral.Schools must follow safety regulationsReferring to the Haryana School Safety Regulations, 2017, the Commission underlined that every school must have a functional school safety committee and mandatory documents, including a child protection document, movement plan, communication plan, and crisis management plan.It also stressed the need for adequate CCTV coverage, regular monitoring, teacher supervision, counselling facilities, and immediate medical assistance in cases of serious injuries.Recommendations of the committee include age-appropriate behavioural awareness programmes, counselling for children, identification of bullying and aggressive behaviour, awareness programmes for parents on positive parenting, and the responsible use of digital platforms, including exposure to violent online games and content.The Commission emphasised that the child allegedly involved in the assault is entitled to treatment under the juvenile justice framework, including appropriate assessment and rehabilitative intervention.The Commission clarified that its observations were prima facie based on newspaper reports and that it had not recorded any final finding regarding the guilt of the child allegedly involved or the culpability of any school official. The matter has been listed for the next hearing on Jan 28.BOX 1: Lapses Flagged By HHRC— Teacher shortage: Inadequate staff strength reportedly led to children from Bal Vatika and classes I, II and III being accommodated in a common classroom— Inadequate supervision: How the girl moved from the common classroom to an empty classroom on the first floor without being noticed by staff— Delayed discovery: Nearly two hours reportedly elapsed before the injured child was found— CCTV gaps: Questions over camera coverage, operational status and monitoring of corridors, staircases and classrooms— Violation of safety norms: Allegation that the classroom door was bolted from outside and subsequently locked, contrary to regulations prohibiting locked classroom doors— Medical response: Alleged delays in providing treatment and shifting the child between hospitalsBOX 2: Key recommendations— Time-bound safety audit: Conduct a comprehensive safety audit of all schools across Haryana.— Adequate staffing: Ensure sufficient teacher deployment and proper class-wise allocation, even during staff shortages— Stronger supervision: Ensure children are monitored at all times and prevent unsupervised movement between classrooms and floors— Functional CCTV systems: Ensure adequate camera coverage, regular monitoring and periodic checks of operational status— Emergency preparedness: Strengthen protocols for immediate medical assistance, hospital referrals and emergency response— Mandatory safety mechanisms: Ensure functional school safety committees and updated child protection, movement, communication and crisis management plans— Counselling and behavioural awareness: Introduce age-appropriate programmes to identify bullying, aggression and behavioural concerns— Parent engagement: Conduct awareness programmes on positive parenting and responsible digital exposure, including violent online games and content— Rehabilitation of children: Ensure appropriate assessment, counselling and rehabilitative intervention under the juvenile justice framework for children involved in such incidents
