Teacher Awareness cum Orientation Programme on the POCSO Act by DOE

"Law without justice is a wound without a cure" WILLIAM SCOTT DOWNEY

To acquaint and strengthen the staff of private schools with the Act, ‘The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act’ (POCSO), a workshop was conducted by Secretary DLSA South, Mr Sukhjeet Singh and Deputy Directorate of Education Dr Ashok Kumar Tyagi.

Two teachers from The Indian School -Second Shift, Ms Neha Sharma and Ms Neelima Oberoi attended the workshop at Birla Vidya Niketan on 19th September, 2023.

Mr Surjeet Singh initiated the awareness programme by explaining the importance of bringing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)  into practice. The key provisions of the act were discussed by the speaker. Using facts and figures, he pointed out that children are 40 percent of the total population of India and are the most vulnerable group.To safeguard their interests  the POCSO Act is a cornerstone of legal protection. He also discussed the established procedures mentioned in the Act, for filing a complaint against a perpetrator. He spoke in detail about the prevalence of child abuse in our society and emphasised the significance of identifying symptoms that might cause behavioural changes in students.

Mr Ashok Tyagi, Deputy Director of Education, South addressed the audience and discussed ways and means that can be adopted to ensure the safety of students within school premises. Some preventive measures include having a school ID card system for the teaching and non-teaching staff members, parents, and other individuals who enter the school premises. Also the significance of police verification of all school employees. Participants were also  informed about helpline numbers, apps, and the POCSO E-box.

Teachers who attended the session were directed to conduct a workshop at their schools.