Better mechanism needed for young to report abuse: Minister

PUNE : The state government will work towards implementing apt reporting mechanisms in schools to ensure that young victims of abuse do not feel hesitant while reporting their grievances, education minister Vinod Tawde said here on Thursday.
He said, “The society views educational institutions and especially teachers in a different way and when instances like abuse of a school kid by a teacher comes to the fore.The same raises some grave concerns.”
Tawde was responding to queries by reporters on what the new government’s approach would be towards tackling rising cases of child sex abuse in school transport buses, vans and even within school premises.
On Wednesday, the vice-principal of a school was arrested for sexually assaulting a girl in his school. It was brought to the minister’s notice that the incident was the sixth of its kind over the last six months.
“The priority has to be to effectively check occurrence of such instances in our educational institutions and implement the needed measures,” Tawde said.
“Many times, the affected victim lodges a complaint with the institute management, but the same not taken with the kind of seriousness required. It is only when the incident comes to the fore later that the issue gets attention,” he said.
Tawde said, “The emphasis has to be on sensitizing school management and principals to handle such issues more sensitively. At the same time, there has to be some mechanism wherein the affected feel comfortable enough to lodge their complaints and the same is taken note of immediately.”
Referring to past incidents, Tawde assured action from the government to examine all reports in relation to these incidents and study the recommendations that need to be implemented for safer education in schools.