Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 8 Nov: To address the growing concern over bullying and ragging among students, the Education Department has issued comprehensive directives, mandating all schools and educational institutes to implement robust anti-bullying measures.
On Thursday, Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Ratan Anya had drawn the Education Department’s attention to the rising cases of ragging and bullying in schools and hostels, seeking urgent implementation of anti-bullying and ragging guidelines.
The directives outlined that the institutes should prominently display anti-bullying messages in their prospectuses and guidelines, stating that ‘bullying/ragging is strictly prohibited in the school premises/educational institutes and no such act will go unnoticed or unpunished’.
The directives include formation of an anti-bullying/ragging committee in every school and institute. This body will be responsible for developing and reviewing prevention plans, implementing programmes, conducting awareness and training sessions for staffers, students, and parents, and maintaining vigilance to respond sensitively to incidents.
The names and contact details of the committee members must be displayed at prominent locations within the premises.
For residential institutes, the managements have been directed to appoint ‘sentinels/monitors/peer educators’ from prefectorial boards or trained peer educators to monitor and prevent such behaviour.
The guidelines also stress the importance of sensitising students to human rights, democratic values, respect for diversity, equality, and personal dignity. Schools have been urged to organise anti-bullying campaigns, training programmes, and activities to educate stakeholders on the impacts of bullying.
Parents have been encouraged to actively support these efforts by reporting incidents confidentially and participating in orientation programmes.
To ensure accountability, a range of penalties has been prescribed, based on the severity of misconduct, including oral or written warnings, suspension, withholding of results, fines, expulsion, or even transfer to another institution in exceptional cases.
Additionally, institutes must establish a confidential reporting system, such as complaint/suggestion boxes, and regularly monitor feedback. All students, staffers, and parents are to be engaged continuously in anti-bullying initiatives as part of the schools’ core ethos.
In the event of any bullying or ragging incident, the heads of institutes are required to submit detailed reports, including action taken, to the office of the education commissioner, the directive added.
Education Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona termed these measures a “systematic response” to a complex issue, underscoring the need for collective responsibility to protect students’ wellbeing.
“The guidelines, aimed at fostering a safe and respectful learning environment, emphasise prevention, awareness, and swift action against such incidents” Sona added.
The education minister is visiting the Sainik School in Niglok in East Siang district to take stock of the situation in the aftermath of the death of 12-year-old Tadu Haro, who was found dead on the campus under mysterious circumstances on 1 November.
