New school approval rules trigger protest: Private school federation objects to safety certification mandate

Private school bodies oppose the education department’s order requiring emotional, personal, and sexual safety certificates for new school approvals, calling the norms impractical and unclear.

The Karnataka School Education Department’s newly introduced norms for granting permission to new schools have sparked strong opposition from private school associations. The latest guidelines mandate that schools must submit certification related to students’ personal safety, sexual safety, and emotional safety as part of the approval process.

Private school federations have expressed serious concern over the practicality and clarity of these requirements. They argue that such certifications are highly complex and subjective, making them difficult to issue in a structured and legally valid manner.

Under the new order, schools seeking recognition must provide written confirmation ensuring children’s emotional well-being, personal security, and protection from sexual abuse. This move, aimed at strengthening student safety mechanisms, has been questioned by private school representatives, who say the department has imposed unrealistic conditions without clear implementation guidelines.

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CAMs General Secretary Shashikumar voiced strong dissatisfaction, stating that schools are neither medical professionals nor psychological experts to certify emotional or sexual safety. “We are not doctors or trained experts. How are we expected to certify emotional or sexual safety? Even parents cannot provide such guarantees,” he questioned.

He further pointed out that each child has a different emotional makeup, and it is impossible for schools to assess, judge, and issue certificates regarding emotional well-being. According to him, emotional health is dynamic and varies from child to child, making standardized certification impractical.

Private school associations also expressed concern about the demand for emotional safety certificates for every student. They said such expectations place an unreasonable administrative and legal burden on schools and may lead to confusion, disputes, and accountability issues in the future.

Highlighting the lack of clarity in the government order, school representatives questioned the basis on which such guidelines were framed. They urged the School Education Department to immediately review and reconsider the decision.

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The federation has formally demanded a revision of the order, calling for practical, realistic, and implementable guidelines that ensure student safety without imposing impossible responsibilities on schools.