Zee Media Bureau
Bangalore: Days after the Vibgyor High School was shut following outrage over the alleged rape of a six-year-old student by two of its staffers within its premises, the institute in the city`s upscale eastern suburb reopened on Monday.
The school has reopened for students of Classes 5 to 10. From Wednesday, all classes from Class 1 will commence. The decision to reopen the institute was announced on July 24 after a three-hour meeting of about 200 parents with the school management.
Meanwhile, a task force comprising parents, teachers and senior students has been set up to implement certain guidelines to ensure safety and security of about 3,500 students studying in the school.
Notably, the parents have submitted to the management a set of 40 guidelines, it will put in place 11 of them for reopening the school and other measures by September 12, as they involve additional resources and logistics.
The immediate guidelines include installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all classrooms, playrooms, restrooms, labs, library, teachers` room and at vantage points covering the entire school premises, including the playground.
The school will employ adequate women security guards after background checks and will make profiles of all those employed on contracts for non-curricular and non-academic activities.
The school has agreed to stop allowing outsiders to use its swimming pool before and after school hours.
It will also maintain records of all security guards and drivers employed to operate its fleet of transport vehicles used to pick and drop students from their homes.
"The school has been told to train and sensitise the non-teaching staff on dealing with the wards to ensure their safety and security," Ramesh said.
A parents-teachers association will also be formed to oversee the implementation of the safety measures in the school.
The school`s founder chairman Rustom Kerawalla was granted conditional bail on July 23 after he was arrested in Daman on July 22 and flown to city for interrogation.
Kerawalla was booked for destroying evidence of the crime, giving false information to screen the offender and failing to ensure the safety of the victim.
Police arrested main accused Mustafa alias Munna on July 20. He has been sent to judicial custody.
(With IANS inputs)
