Support staff recruitment has to be priority

Representational image. Pic/iStock

Following an incident at a private school in Badlapur, where two minor girls were assaulted by a contractual cleaning staff member, the Brihanmumbai Principals' Association has highlighted the lack of full-time support staff, such as peons and cleaning personnel, in private aided schools since 2018.

The association noted that over 4,500 peon and support staff positions remain vacant across more than 10,000 schools in the state, with many of these roles being temporarily filled by contractual workers. They emphasised that this staffing situation affects student safety, citing that the accused in the Badlapur case was a contractual worker recruited through an agency. In recent years, the government has cited a lack of funds to support full-time non-teaching staff in private aided schools, offering only a monthly provision of Rs 10,000.

Serious crimes have been reported in other schools involving contractual staff or temporary staff, said a senior official. It was stated that full-time employees peons and support staff are more committed to their work and are directly accountable to the school administration. Essentially all schools across the state need full-time peons/support staff to ensure student safety.

It would be naïve to think that full-time employees may not commit a crime, but the employment of committed full-time staffers is certainly a more responsible form of recruitment.

While CCTV surveillance is vital - it has, in fact, become a non-negotiable aspect of our times - never underestimate the human factor. The best crime team will tell you that the first ‘tip-off' that something criminal may be brewing, is got from the ordinary cop on the street who has eyes and ears everywhere. While not exactly the same analogy, that goes for the support staff, too, who are the eyes and ears of the school. Let the funds come in and see that these vacancies are filled.