Karnataka: Minister Announces New Guidelines To Prevent Child Labor In Schools

In addition to educators, members of the School Development and Monitoring Committees (SDMCs) will now share the responsibility of ensuring that no child is involved in cleaning activities within schools, according to the statement made by Madhu Bangarappa, the Minister for School Education.

Addressing the media in Kuppali, Tirthahalli taluk on Friday, Minister Madhu Bangarappa disclosed that a meeting was held in Bengaluru on Thursday with senior department officials to discuss this matter. The meeting concluded with a decision to issue new guidelines to schools aimed at preventing the recurrence of such incidents.

Expressing the government's serious stance on these matters, he emphasized that the present government has increased the allocation for school maintenance. Both teachers and SDMC members are expected to play a pivotal role in averting such incidents, and they will be entrusted with this responsibility.

The guidelines, which are expected to be finalized within the next day or two, will be promptly disseminated to all schools. Minister Madhu Bangarappa urged SDMC members to conduct meetings within the schools to raise awareness on this issue. He emphasized that children should not be involved in any such activities, except for permissible tasks such as gardening.

Furthermore, the minister warned of strict actions against those found responsible if such incidents were to recur. The focus is on creating a safe and conducive environment for students, with the collaboration of educators and SDMCs actively participating in this shared responsibility.